When Clowns Without Borders USA goes on tour, we always work with local partner organizations and artists. It’s part of the ethos of “being invited.” Mario Bustillo, is a Colombian clown who joined CWB as a collaborator on the Colombia Coastal Tour in February and March, 2018. In this blog, he writes about how working with CWB – USA has helped him grow as an artist and person.
Mario Bustillo
Each day that I share and participate in this project, I feel grateful. It’s a beautiful experience and the places we’re visiting, the people we’re meeting, are part of that beauty. So far, nothing has felt routine—everything is an adventure, a discovery and an enjoyment. Clowns Without Borders USA is a dream for those who want to be clowns, who decide that they want to know the world. Some of us think that the world isn’t going to take us anywhere, that our dreams of clowning won’t go very far, but Clowns Without Borders makes me feel like I’ve reached the sun and I have something to bring back for everyone else.
This experience is helping me to grow as a clown, value myself, and believe in myself, my professionalism and my work. Clowns are bearers of the immaterial, and I love it. I’m able to leave a mark on others. Working with CWB – USA opened me up to life and to developing my art. As a clown, you realize what’s actually important. You might feel like you have nothing, yet somehow you have more.
I hope to be part of another project in the future, so I didn’t say a formal goodbye. This group still has a lot to accomplish together, and I know that we’ll meet again! I think that’s the best feeling to have by the end of a project: Wanting more, wanting to continue. In my heart, I’ll carry the memory and story about the time that I was a clown without borders.
