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The Invisible Clown: How to Not Be Afraid of Being Yourself
Mikhail (Misha) Usov is one of the best-known and beloved teachers of the art of the clown
and comedic acting in the world. The Invisible Clown is essential reading for any actor, clown, public speaker, or professional, ready to shed the patterns that cause creative blocks, stage fright, inconsistent performances, waning artistic energy, and the fear of being yourself.
As a teacher, coach, and mentor, Misha shares the rules, lessons, and exercises that consistently free his students to make huge leaps in technical mastery and the enjoyment of their professions.
A letter to you, from Misha
Every one of us sooner or later Who am I? How can I be myself? What is my calling? How can I be happy?
In childhood we don't encounter these questions—we are happy because we are ourselves.
As we become adults new psychological processes are activated internally and we start to acquire templates — these templates arise from our upbringing, education, and our perception of the world.
These templates become bad habits and develop into fears, a lack of self-confidence, or arrogance, and even cynicism.
These traits arising from templates, actually block us from accessing who we truly are.
When I was developing the idea for this book I wanted to write about stage fright and how to combat it.
But now the book is finished — and I have come to learn that it is about how to be happy .
If you like, it’s my clown’s recipe for happiness, my vitamin D for my dear Readers.
This book is for anyone who wants to The majority of books that are available now on public performance or self-development, yoga, or meditation offer us a range of techniques. However, no matter how perfect our technique is, the same questions keep coming Who else is this book for?
It is for my 20-year-old self. The naïve, self-doubting, audacious, artistic, self-willed, stubborn, unbelievably proud, vain young man with low self-esteem, who did not pass a single audition.
It is for my 30-year-old self, who knew his first taste of success and was afraid of losing it.
It is for my 40-year-old self —a man who had lost his youth and was emulating anyone who was cooler, funnier, wiser, and who wanted to relive his younger years but in a more conscious way.
Dear Readers, I'm excited for what you will discover in this book, and I'm grateful that you want to give more to yourself, your families and friends, and your audiences.
- Misha
and comedic acting in the world. The Invisible Clown is essential reading for any actor, clown, public speaker, or professional, ready to shed the patterns that cause creative blocks, stage fright, inconsistent performances, waning artistic energy, and the fear of being yourself.
As a teacher, coach, and mentor, Misha shares the rules, lessons, and exercises that consistently free his students to make huge leaps in technical mastery and the enjoyment of their professions.
A letter to you, from Misha
Every one of us sooner or later Who am I? How can I be myself? What is my calling? How can I be happy?
In childhood we don't encounter these questions—we are happy because we are ourselves.
As we become adults new psychological processes are activated internally and we start to acquire templates — these templates arise from our upbringing, education, and our perception of the world.
These templates become bad habits and develop into fears, a lack of self-confidence, or arrogance, and even cynicism.
These traits arising from templates, actually block us from accessing who we truly are.
When I was developing the idea for this book I wanted to write about stage fright and how to combat it.
But now the book is finished — and I have come to learn that it is about how to be happy .
If you like, it’s my clown’s recipe for happiness, my vitamin D for my dear Readers.
This book is for anyone who wants to The majority of books that are available now on public performance or self-development, yoga, or meditation offer us a range of techniques. However, no matter how perfect our technique is, the same questions keep coming Who else is this book for?
It is for my 20-year-old self. The naïve, self-doubting, audacious, artistic, self-willed, stubborn, unbelievably proud, vain young man with low self-esteem, who did not pass a single audition.
It is for my 30-year-old self, who knew his first taste of success and was afraid of losing it.
It is for my 40-year-old self —a man who had lost his youth and was emulating anyone who was cooler, funnier, wiser, and who wanted to relive his younger years but in a more conscious way.
Dear Readers, I'm excited for what you will discover in this book, and I'm grateful that you want to give more to yourself, your families and friends, and your audiences.
- Misha
267 pages, Paperback
Published October 17, 2021
9 people want to read
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March 27, 2025
After reading the first couple chapters I had a dream and in it Misha was teaching me things I’d read later in the book.
We were on top of a skyscraper and he was having me lean over the ledge. When I’d get a feeling of fear and wonder and general bewilderment he’d tell me that that was the state of The Invisible Clown.
He also told me to eat more fruit.
I think I actually met him in my dream. Either way, that sums up the difference between the Clown Dramaturgy book I read earlier, and this one. The first is a great how to guide for creating your own gags and shows. This book is first and foremost a book on spirituality, and the spiritual journey of clown, of the inner child in all of us that longs to break free from our “templates”.
We were on top of a skyscraper and he was having me lean over the ledge. When I’d get a feeling of fear and wonder and general bewilderment he’d tell me that that was the state of The Invisible Clown.
He also told me to eat more fruit.
I think I actually met him in my dream. Either way, that sums up the difference between the Clown Dramaturgy book I read earlier, and this one. The first is a great how to guide for creating your own gags and shows. This book is first and foremost a book on spirituality, and the spiritual journey of clown, of the inner child in all of us that longs to break free from our “templates”.
Displaying 1 of 1 review