What do you think?
Rate this book
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.In his first book published outside Russia, Misha reveals the acting, communications, and public speaking discoveries that led to his 36-year success as an international performer on five continents and creative artist for Cirque du Soleil. Among his thousands of performances, Misha has delighted audiences at the Royal Albert Hall London and the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.The acting techniques and comedic methods that Misha introduces in this book are displayed in his many online videos (hundreds of thousands of views) and taught in his school, IC Institute. 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 tofind themselves and how to be themselvesspeak powerfully in publicplay roles authenticallystand confidently in front of a video or still cameraclearly deliver reports and be listened toaudition wellpresent a project or sell a productThe 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 can I avoid being dependent on the reactions of others?How can I avoid experiencing stress before and during a speech in front of a large or small audience?How can I not be afraid of the video or still camera?How can I stop being nervous in interviews, business meetings, auditions, or work meetings?How can I develop charisma?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.In his first book published outside Russia, Misha reveals the acting, communications, and public speaking discoveries that led to his 36-year success as an international performer on five continents and creative artist for Cirque du Soleil. Among his thousands of performances, Misha has delighted audiences at the Royal Albert Hall London and the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.The acting techniques and comedic methods that Misha introduces in this book are displayed in his many online videos (hundreds of thousands of views) and taught in his school, IC Institute. 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 tofind themselves and how to be themselvesspeak powerfully in publicplay roles authenticallystand confidently in front of a video or still cameraclearly deliver reports and be listened toaudition wellpresent a project or sell a productThe 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 can I avoid being dependent on the reactions of others?How can I avoid experiencing stress before and during a speech in front of a large or small audience?How can I not be afraid of the video or still camera?How can I stop being nervous in interviews, business meetings, auditions, or work meetings?How can I develop charisma?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
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 7, 2026
I don’t have any formal training or experience with acting or clowning but I do have stage experience from yearly dance shows when I was a teenager, the odd pantomime, and currently, being in a noise rock/punk band. What Misha goes into in The Invisible Clown has been quite insightful as I noticed that the lessons underpinning the book were structured to be transferable to multiple areas of life, not solely just on stage. Even my job as a server, I’ve noticed, is very performance based and relies a lot on interaction with customers as the audience.
The book had a nice balance of relevant personal anecdotes and inspiring quotes from working clowns, authors, and philosophers which I think made the book more relatable as a reader. The main theory of Timing (skeleton) - Character (muscle)- State (spirit) made the art form of clowning (and in a wider context, living in the present) accessible and was as much a practical philosophy book due to the later structure of the book using a direct framework from Fourth Way teachings (George Gurdjieff and P. D. Ouspensky). It has made me curious to read Ouspensky’s book In Search Of The Miraculous and also led me down a rabbit hole on YouTube with the music Gurdjieff composed with Thomas de Hartmann.
It has also made me keen to research the art form of clowning further even though it’s not something that I can’t actively pursue until I have moved out from home and can finally drive (although I am learning how to juggle).
The book had a nice balance of relevant personal anecdotes and inspiring quotes from working clowns, authors, and philosophers which I think made the book more relatable as a reader. The main theory of Timing (skeleton) - Character (muscle)- State (spirit) made the art form of clowning (and in a wider context, living in the present) accessible and was as much a practical philosophy book due to the later structure of the book using a direct framework from Fourth Way teachings (George Gurdjieff and P. D. Ouspensky). It has made me curious to read Ouspensky’s book In Search Of The Miraculous and also led me down a rabbit hole on YouTube with the music Gurdjieff composed with Thomas de Hartmann.
It has also made me keen to research the art form of clowning further even though it’s not something that I can’t actively pursue until I have moved out from home and can finally drive (although I am learning how to juggle).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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 - 2 of 2 reviews