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The Sacred Art of Clowning... and Life!

by Cleone Lyvonne Reed

• What is coulrophobia?

• Do you know the difference between Auguste, Whiteface, and Character Clowns?
• Why does Reed call her workshops “The Power of the Red Nose?”
• How does Cleone see clowning as a “Sacred Art?”
• And the most profound question Reed answers in this book: How does one move out of an abusive marriage and transform her thinking so that she can manifest a wonderful marriage based on love, mutuality, and respect?

That is the journey that Cleone took, starting with her debut as Chloe the Clown in 1994. Through her six clown characters (she calls herself “a multiple personality of a deliberate kind), she sees each clown as representing different ages/stages of her life. And that each moment of our life is sacred, something to honor and accept. As a Caring Clown (versus a Circus Clown), she spread love and joy to countless people in hospitals, nursing homes, parade routes, workshops, putting loved ones into clown, etc. But what she found was the recognition of her own self-love and appreciation! She decided she didn’t need to be a clown anymore and quit in 2004. What made her return to clowning in 2010? How is clowning a SACRED ART? How does that relate to life? Answers to these accompanied by 100+ pictures tell her story.

Five-Star Reviews on Amazon:
5.0 out of 5 stars The Therapeutic Power of Putting on the Red Nose January 6, 2012

Reading "The Sacred Art of Clowning...and Life!" is a refreshing uplifting experience. I am enthused by the new way of thinking Cleone Lyvonne Reed introduces in her book. Cleone skillfully weaves selected memoirs of her own "transformational journey from abuse to bliss" as she describes the mission and therapeutic benefits of clowning and the sacredness of clowning as an art form.

As in any art form each individual reader will take away their own personal impressions of the impact and intent of the author's message. I came away with an awesome sense of the importance of finding beauty in life and in the individual person. I identified with the sense of SACRED whether in "Clowning or in Life," and enjoyed Cleone's use of alliteration in creating an acrostic in developing much of her material.

The clown pictures created by Illustrator Richard Vergara add uniquely powerful visual reinforcement to the applications of each of the "Twelve Universal Powers" introduced in Part Three. Clowning encourages living outside the box, empowerment, authenticity, creativity, and gives birth to passion. I also appreciated the, insightful and motivational, quotations included throughout the narrative. The colorful cover and dozens of photographs of clown creations and events immediately captured my attention. I perused the book in it's entirely before settling in to a most pleasurable read.

Reed's writing is transparent, engaging and highly motivating. As an avid reader I explore a broad spectrum of topics. I may read to acquire information, to be entertained, as a brief escape, or for motivation and inspiration. While reading "The Sacred Art of Clowning...and Life!" I became totally immersed in Cleone's Caring Clown Character Creations.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided for review purposes. The opinions expressed are my own.

Part memoir, part how-to and part inspiration, "The Scared Art of Clowning" as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts. And its parts are pretty darn good. Clowning has come a long way since the days when it was just a bunch of people coming out of a car in a circus. Over the past 20 years, clowning has become more associated with hospitals than three-ring entertainment. It is now central to the humor and health movement. And Cleone Lyvonne Reed's journey reflects that trend.

Her book describes how she has used clowning to cope with difficulties in her own life, as well as brighten the lives of others. You will be inspired. You will be enchanted. And you may even want to take up clowning yourself. (You'll find plenty of ideas for doing so.) But if you want to follow in the author's footsteps, remember one thing. You'll have big shoes to fill — clown shoes. And that's no joke!

Read the book the day I got it. Loved it! Really enjoyed how the author described caring clowns and the work that goes into clowning, creativity, empathy, enthusiasm! Also loved the pictures. Hope all care givers read it; laughter is the best medicine!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cleone Lyvonne Reed, MSE, has a Master’s Degree in Education—Community Counseling—from the University of Wisconsin / Oshkosh, is a licensed Avatar Master and Wizard, and has received about 500 hours of training in clowning, including two one-week courses at Clown Camp at the University of Wisconsin / LaCrosse. She has taught several workshops called THE POWER OF THE RED NOSE. So far, 166 people have been clowns for at least a day in response to her work, either in workshops or privately when she put people into clown. Because of her professional experience as a counselor and how therapeutic she perceives clowning to be, she likes to call herself a “clownselor.” She is married to Bob Reed and works with him in his publishing business—the publisher of this book! (See Product Images above to see her book cover, her author photo with her six clown characters, and a photo of Cleone dressed as Chloe the day she met her husband, the publisher of this book.)

The Sacred Art of Clowning... and Life! by Cleone Lyvonne Reed

ISBN: 978-1-934759-57-8, 184 pages, 6 x 9, 100+ photos, $14.95

For Quantity Discounts, Contact the Publisher Directly by Calling BOB REED at (541) 347-9882