We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Bri Crabtree. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Bri below.
Bri, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
The Silly Circus Show is a vision for what I DIDN’T see in the world. I’ve been watching jugglers and magicians for a very long time, but what I didn’t see is a strong, powerful female character who’s accomplishing skilled feats, who’s making people laugh and who is bringing it all together into real magic. Real magic is connection and storytelling.
The goal of the Silly Circus Show is to show by example. I want to show people that whatever you’re thinking about in your head can come to life. I want people to know that you CAN live a creative life, you CAN be a professional artist, and it is worthwhile to make things.
I also want the audience to be inspired to try their own things at home. I want them to try tossing a ball. I want them to try a somersault. I want them to try making stuff out of construction paper and foam. Just try stuff! That’s what growth is all about.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My name is Bri Crabtree and I am a variety entertainer. I love blending circus arts, clowning, and magic to create unforgettable experiences for families. My work is about creating moments of wonder, laughter, and connection, with a focus on storytelling that inspires creativity and for others to overcome their challenges. What’s most exciting to me is seeing kids and adults light up with joy during my performances. Right now, I’m really thrilled about my latest project, the Silly Circus Show, which brings all my favorite elements—costumes, puppets, and original props—into a full production that tours all over the west coast.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Three qualities that were most impactful in my journey were taking the initiative to learn, be adventurous, and be resilient.
It takes many years to learn to perform, write jokes, and learn circus tricks. You have to learn how to fail, and how to be resilient. You can’t have creativity without failure. And I have failed hundreds of thousands of times. I have failed at making costumes, making props, writing things. I have even failed at making people laugh. There’s nothing worse than that! But that’s what it takes to create a successful show. It’s related to growth mindset, and how to get better at what you’re doing. You have to go through those failures to improve.
I have always embraced an adventure, and laughter is universal. I have sought out lots of training and workshops, traveling all over the world to go to new places, meet new people, and learn from people around the world. And then it was really when I started doing kids shows, I had to be more fearless, more motivated about discovering myself and not being afraid to share that with the world and worry about any repercussions or judgments from the audience.
There are times in the day, in the week, in the month where I don’t want to practice. I don’t want to do anything, but if I make myself at least go in the studio for 30 minutes, that 30 minutes seems to transform into an hour, 2 hours lead to this lead to that. I think it’s important to keep any kind of practice as a regular creative outlet and a regular muscle that you’re going to work with.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
My biggest challenge has been myself, whether it’s my self confidence, my motivation, my organizational skills. I’m running a one woman operation, and I’ve learned that structure and my passion is going to bring me success. It sounds cliche, but my joy is my compass. I pursue the things that are going to make me happiest.
So I was naturally very shy as a kid, not seeking the spotlight. When I reflect on my past, I can’t believe I’m a performer now. I reinvented myself by participating in workshops, writing, and surrounding myself with other strong talented women.
Through the practice of juggling and unicycling, I have discovered patience. I’ve discovered a lot more about myself and who I am and what I know I can accomplish. And if you are able to apply that type of growth mindset to other skills and facets of your life, you can accomplish anything.
There are times where I don’t want to practice. I don’t want to do anything. But part of the passion is showing up, even when you don’t want to. I think it’s important to develop a practice as a regular creative outlet and a regular muscle to exercise.
And so I’ve learned how to run a business and build things. And sew things. I’ve learned how to perform in front of an audience. And I learned how to fail. So there are constant challenges and obstacles that once I realized if myself isn’t in the way, then they don’t seem as big or as challenging.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sillycircusshow.com
- Instagram: bri_crabtree
- Facebook: silly circus show
- Linkedin: bri crabtree
- Youtube: silly circus show
- Other: tik tok silly circus show
Image Credits
rae candent
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