EPISODE SUMMARY:
Can humor rewire your biology? In this lively, soul-filling conversation, The Happy Spot welcomes Barbara Ann Michaels — performance artist, officiant, and Jester of the Peace.
Together, we explore why humor isn’t just entertainment, but a human right and one of the most powerful biohacks available to us.
From lowering stress hormones to building resilience and community, Barbara shares how laughter can literally change your body, your brain, and your story. Tune in for wellness wisdom, radical joy, and a prescription for daily delight you’ll actually want to take.
#humor #joy #biohack #wellness #joy
https://www.jesterofthepeace.com https://www.instagram.com/jesterofthepeace/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesterofthepeace/
In this uplifting segment of The Happy Spot, Barbara Ann Michaels, the “Jester of the Peace,” reminds us that humor isn’t just a luxury—it’s a vital human right that helps us heal, connect, and feel truly alive. She shares how telling stories that were once difficult but are now funny can shorten the emotional distance between pain and joy, creating space for growth, connection, and even forgiveness. Through projects like Humorville and Circus of the Heart, Barbara shows how laughter can transform our inner world and inspire others to find their own path to happiness.
In this heartwarming segment, Barbara Ann Michaels shares the origin of her title “Jester of the Peace,” blending her background in clown theater and performance art with her deep commitment to authenticity, joy, and celebration. A life-changing moment during a clown class—where failure was met with compassion and laughter—reframed her entire understanding of success, sparking her mission to help others feel seen and celebrated. Through spontaneous weddings, playful installations, and eventually the creation of Humorville, Barbara has built a joyful, imaginative world where humor becomes a portal to healing, connection, and personal liberation.
In this energizing segment of The Happy Spot, Barbara Ann Michaels shares how she brought her interactive joy-based installations together to form “Humorville,” a traveling town where visitors are seen, heard, and celebrated through laughter and connection. From marrying people to their passions to inviting strangers to mirror each other through dance, Barbara creates playful yet profound opportunities for healing, self-expression, and transformation. Emphasizing the difference between laughing with and laughing at, she shows how humor can dissolve shame, build community, and restore our shared humanity—one joyful interaction at a time.
In this final segment of The Happy Spot, Barbara Ann Michaels deepens the conversation around humor by exploring the difference between laughing with versus laughing at, both in our relationships with others and with ourselves. She highlights how reclaiming humor as a natural human right—not just the domain of professional comedians—can transform workplaces, personal healing, and community connection. Closing with her heartfelt vow “to see and embrace all life as an equal expression of love,” Barbara reminds us that laughter isn’t just medicine—it’s a path to wholeness, presence, and joy.
00:00:29.420 --> 00:00:30.560 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Hi! Everybody!
00:00:31.730 --> 00:00:37.210 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Jack from the happy spot, and you know
00:00:38.070 --> 00:00:42.110 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: every so often someone reminds me how and how important it is to play.
00:00:42.310 --> 00:00:45.979 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: not just to laugh at a clever joke, but to loosen your bones.
00:00:46.930 --> 00:00:49.730 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: and I remember what it feels like to be fully alive
00:00:50.270 --> 00:01:00.209 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: a while back, Barbara Michaels, sitting to my right here invited Clementina, our host of the evening, into Lower Manhattan, to dance, parade New York.
00:01:00.500 --> 00:01:06.490 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: and afterward to participate in a dance like you, where Barbara has the shirt on here.
00:01:07.340 --> 00:01:08.660 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: I dance like you.
00:01:11.130 --> 00:01:36.599 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: It encouraged us to spontaneously mirror strangers in Tompkins Square Park with the goal of making them feel seen, and then creating joy through little impromptu dance parties. No stage, just a few grownups choosing joy at the end of a long week, and honestly, it was medicine for me. It's the kind of thing we can all use a little more right now, especially with so much noise out there about stress and burnout and disconnection.
00:01:36.990 --> 00:01:49.870 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: So today I'm thrilled. We get to bring a little bit of that spirit to you. Here. Let's welcome the jester of the peace. Barbara and our host, Clementine Esposito. Ladies, I'm going to take a step back
00:01:50.040 --> 00:01:55.510 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: and let you ladies help me feel the joy. Thank you.
00:01:57.160 --> 00:01:59.469 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Thank you. It's such a joy to be here.
00:02:06.570 --> 00:02:21.950 clementinaesposito: Hey! Welcome back to the happy spot where we're always exploring the connections between wellness work and what it means to be alive. I'm your host, Clementina Esposito. And today, as Jack said, I have the pleasure of having the original
00:02:22.170 --> 00:02:28.120 clementinaesposito: performance artist, efficient founder of Humorville, Barbara Ann Michaels.
00:02:28.420 --> 00:02:36.779 clementinaesposito: She's also known as the Jester of the Peace, has spent decades helping people unlock transformational healing and connective power of humor
00:02:37.080 --> 00:02:44.479 clementinaesposito: from hospitals to art galleries, to corporate boardrooms. Her works, asks us to remember what laughter can do.
00:02:44.850 --> 00:02:54.909 clementinaesposito: If you think humor is just for fun you're about to learn. It's 1 of the best biohacks we have for rewiring our nervous system, reducing stress and amplifying joy.
00:02:55.210 --> 00:02:57.360 clementinaesposito: So welcome to the show. Barbara.
00:02:57.860 --> 00:02:58.269 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Thank you.
00:02:58.270 --> 00:02:58.620 clementinaesposito: Okay.
00:02:58.620 --> 00:03:06.030 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: That introduction I am. I'm I'm enjoying myself tremendously.
00:03:07.347 --> 00:03:14.510 clementinaesposito: Good. I'm so I'm so I'm so glad I'm so glad. That's what happens right? That's what happens.
00:03:14.510 --> 00:03:19.730 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: That's what. Well, that's what happens. Because I because I make a point for it to happen.
00:03:20.030 --> 00:03:30.679 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: One of the things I most deeply believe is that life is a celebration, and that is not a naive statement. It's not trying to jump over things that are difficult. It's
00:03:31.020 --> 00:03:40.949 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: this is a miraculous, existing even for one second, especially here on the zoom with you, which is an honor and a pleasure, is extraordinary. And so
00:03:41.690 --> 00:03:48.750 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: I work to have more people have more time and space and awareness to celebrate life.
00:03:49.440 --> 00:04:02.659 clementinaesposito: That's so awesome. I love that. So I'm going to dive right in, because because I love to do that and and so interesting that our 1st question is, why is humor a human right?
00:04:03.310 --> 00:04:04.220 clementinaesposito: And I just.
00:04:04.220 --> 00:04:06.009 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Yeah. And I was just speaking to that.
00:04:06.580 --> 00:04:08.480 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: right? You were just talking to that.
00:04:08.480 --> 00:04:11.520 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Yeah, it was just being that. So? Yeah, Hume. So
00:04:12.200 --> 00:04:14.299 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: if we have created a world
00:04:14.890 --> 00:04:20.310 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: where we think, Oh, yeah, these people will be joyful. But these people over here
00:04:20.440 --> 00:04:29.990 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: they won't find joy in their lives. But these people will be joyful if that's the world that we are creating. That is an inhumane world, because joy is
00:04:30.670 --> 00:04:38.110 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: inherent to being a person. It's it's part of the human condition. It's what we're here to do in part.
00:04:38.660 --> 00:04:46.610 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: And so we have to make a world where celebration is
00:04:46.930 --> 00:04:56.930 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: is a default, not the exception, and so humor and right for that reason. But the other reason that humor is a human right is that humor is absolutely fundamental to health.
00:04:57.390 --> 00:04:57.990 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: so.
00:04:58.650 --> 00:05:15.869 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Something difficult happens as represented. But you know what's so funny. There's this this little happy face right here. So something difficult happens to the happy face. Something difficult happens, and then
00:05:16.670 --> 00:05:27.979 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: it's too soon. And there's this comedy industry term called too soon, which means it's too soon to find humor with that situation. We're just not emotionally ready too soon, too soon, too soon, too soon, and that
00:05:28.610 --> 00:05:39.279 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: there's this moment and this moment is called the 1st laugh. I call it the 1st laugh, which is the 1st time we put space around the pain, and when the heart has hope, and it's the 1st it could be so tiny it could be like
00:05:40.720 --> 00:05:42.569 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: like, so so small.
00:05:43.080 --> 00:05:53.449 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: But that's when, like, I just said, you put space around the pain. The heart has hope, and then from there the situation starts to cook and it cooks, and it cooks and it cooks, and eventually, where we started with
00:05:53.670 --> 00:06:05.530 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: the human condition we end up through the 1st laugh at the humor condition, and the humor condition is when we can laugh with this an aspect of this story. The original thing is very rarely funny.
00:06:05.780 --> 00:06:11.719 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: I've had people tell me humorous tales about death of parents, brain cancer, surgery
00:06:12.220 --> 00:06:19.140 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: dating with a disability, trashing boyfriend's Mom's house, ruining holidays, breaking both legs, it goes on and on and on.
00:06:19.530 --> 00:06:25.370 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Oh, however, once we can truly laugh with an aspect of something that was difficult.
00:06:25.870 --> 00:06:33.610 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Not only do we reclaim our own energy and can use it for something different, like our purpose, and I know this show is a lot about purpose.
00:06:34.220 --> 00:07:04.120 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: We can also help somebody else, and I don't think that most human beings wander around the earth, being like, you know, anything I've overcome to the point of being able to find genuine laughter with an aspect of it. I can help someone else with my story. And so one of the projects that I have is a library of people telling stories that were hard then that are funny. Now, specifically for that reason. And it is. It is a human right to find wellness. It's a human right to restore ourselves, and it's a human right to help other people. And so in that way humor is a human right.
00:07:04.740 --> 00:07:19.570 clementinaesposito: I love that. And actually, you know, in what I do, it's it's funny you should say that that way, because in what I do. Actually, we use writing, and a lot of people are either at a writing retreat, which is where I am right now, right? And they actually do want to.
00:07:19.720 --> 00:07:43.859 clementinaesposito: They're like I went through this thing. And now I want to help other people. So we talk about, you know, meditation, breathwork. They've become things that people, you know, buy classes to practice, and, you know, like try to learn how to do when they don't. Maybe necessarily they aren't in an acute situation. Is there something we could do like to practice
00:07:43.860 --> 00:07:50.100 clementinaesposito: doing that? Is there a way we can shorten the time between the horrible thing and the 1st laugh.
00:07:51.755 --> 00:07:55.004 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Yes, yes! Isn't that great? Yes.
00:07:55.530 --> 00:07:57.810 clementinaesposito: Tell us, tell us, tell us, what can we do?
00:07:57.810 --> 00:07:59.313 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: I need to know.
00:07:59.690 --> 00:08:01.139 clementinaesposito: What can we do? I need to know.
00:08:01.140 --> 00:08:10.050 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: I think it's practicing telling our stories that were hard and that are funny now.
00:08:10.380 --> 00:08:23.400 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: So I have a whole town full of experiences which is called Humorville, and this project, called Circus of the Heart, is the library of the town, where people tell stories that were hard and funny now, and this is why I call it the circus of the Heart, which will lead into the answer to your question.
00:08:24.440 --> 00:08:26.660 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: People go to the real circus!
00:08:26.900 --> 00:08:35.400 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: And I was a pediatric hospital clown at 1 point. So it's it's I with the big Apple Circus. And I.
00:08:38.850 --> 00:09:01.770 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: People go to the real circus, the physical circus to see people do impossible things. It is very vital for humans to see other people doing things we perceive as impossible, because then it changes. Whatever we think is impossible, blows it right out of the water. Right? So an example I will often give is if Flying Frida can hang off the high wire on her pinky toe. Well, okay, maybe I can ride this bike.
00:09:02.180 --> 00:09:09.800 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: or maybe I can. Or maybe I can climb that mountain, or maybe I can learn to swim. One of the stories that I have is my friend Jared, who
00:09:09.900 --> 00:09:21.410 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: almost drowned as a child when he was 9, and then pretended to swim for 40 years until he learned how to swim when he was 50, and did a triathlon and swims with his son. But that's a long time to not do something.
00:09:21.680 --> 00:09:23.250 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: and so.
00:09:23.680 --> 00:09:36.800 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: if he could find what if he was able to find laughter with that story sooner than 40 years, and start swimming sooner than 40 years. And there's a whole bunch of things that most humans are holding themselves back from, because they haven't found laughter in the situation.
00:09:37.010 --> 00:09:45.179 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: So of the what the emotional equivalent of this.
00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:52.439 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: what feels impossible emotionally is forgiveness, or laughing with what was hard.
00:09:53.200 --> 00:09:56.020 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: So if I can hear Jared
00:09:56.230 --> 00:10:05.129 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: talk about pretending to swim for 40 years after he almost drowned as a child, finally learning to swim at age 50, and running a triathlon and laughing about it doing a triathlon?
00:10:05.620 --> 00:10:09.999 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Well, maybe maybe I can call my sister.
00:10:10.650 --> 00:10:14.469 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: or if this, if I can hear this person's story of laughing with their house fire.
00:10:16.570 --> 00:10:23.780 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: maybe I can start my novel. It doesn't even have to be related. It's more like, if anyone anywhere
00:10:24.620 --> 00:10:28.039 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: is telling a humorous story about something that used to be difficult.
00:10:29.180 --> 00:10:33.739 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: It doesn't matter. It's the most equalizing thing. No one matter, no one cares where they came from.
00:10:33.920 --> 00:10:54.429 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: No one cares what their life story is, aside from this particular moment what their economic background is, what their educational qualities are. Who they love. It doesn't matter, because there's a the human need to find humor with what was difficult is so strong that there's a lean in automatically, just because
00:10:55.260 --> 00:11:02.230 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: we're laughing with what was changing. So the answer to your question is one of the ways that we can make the distance shorter between
00:11:02.790 --> 00:11:16.899 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: human condition and the 1st laugh which leads to the humor condition, which is where we help other people is getting into the habit of telling our own stories that were hard then that are funny now, because we all have them
00:11:17.200 --> 00:11:23.049 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: and eliciting them from others. What a wonderful way to get to know another person
00:11:23.580 --> 00:11:28.740 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: by asking them, what are some things that you've overcome that were hard at the time that are funny to you. Now.
00:11:28.740 --> 00:11:32.039 clementinaesposito: I love. I feel like you just gave me a new writing. Prompt, too. I love those I love those.
00:11:32.040 --> 00:11:36.399 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Please take it, please bring it to the writing retreat to see what happens.
00:11:36.740 --> 00:11:37.229 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: I love it.
00:11:37.230 --> 00:11:38.543 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: The the
00:11:39.490 --> 00:11:49.619 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: just by being in the habit of this. So I ran a storytelling club on a senior adult therapy platform for a while as an experiment.
00:11:50.450 --> 00:12:03.110 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: and every week we would have a variety of senior adults. Come on, zoom, and go around the circle and tell stories that were hard down that are funny now, and I would tell some. We talk about what happened during the week, or what happened 50 years ago, or whatever it was.
00:12:03.840 --> 00:12:11.330 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: And one of the women said to me one day, you know, just doing this.
00:12:11.600 --> 00:12:17.029 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: I I'm I'm looking for. I'm looking for the good more often in my life.
00:12:17.200 --> 00:12:22.529 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: And she said, an example of this is. Yesterday I was hanging out with my annoying neighbor.
00:12:23.630 --> 00:12:25.189 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Isn't that really annoying?
00:12:25.400 --> 00:12:30.770 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: But yesterday I had this thought like.
00:12:30.930 --> 00:12:34.039 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: What if I laugh about this later? And then
00:12:34.160 --> 00:12:42.859 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: I wasn't so bothered by my annoying neighbor. And then maybe my annoying neighbor wasn't even annoying, and they were just my neighbor because I could laugh about it. And so
00:12:43.970 --> 00:12:53.399 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: one of the most critical things that we will talk about more in a little while is the difference between laughing with each other, and laughing at each other, and what that means for wellness.
00:12:53.790 --> 00:13:12.280 clementinaesposito: Awesome. I love that, and we are going to go to break. We are going to go to break, but I hear you. I think it's like when you're in an acute situation. You know you have this tendency. If you're sick or something's gone wrong, you know you kind of don't see your way out of it. So I love that. It's kind of like we've got to.
00:13:12.380 --> 00:13:24.500 clementinaesposito: you know. The prompt just automatically brings us out of it first.st So I love that. That's so great. Okay, so we're going to go to break, and we'll come back. And yeah, and we'll talk more about all kinds of things.
00:13:26.280 --> 00:13:28.020 clementinaesposito: Humor and wellness.
00:13:28.730 --> 00:13:30.389 clementinaesposito: All right, we're gonna take it to break.
00:14:59.600 --> 00:15:14.740 clementinaesposito: All right. We're back with Barbara Ann, Michaels and Barbara. I let's let's take a pause for a second. I imagine you didn't just wake up one day a gesture of the piece. So let's let's rewind that. And before
00:15:15.340 --> 00:15:31.230 clementinaesposito: led to, you know all the all the amazing things we're going to talk about tonight, including Humorville and different kinds of humor. How did how do you become? I mean, I've never heard of this before. I'm sure many of our listeners haven't like. How did this happen? How did how did.
00:15:31.880 --> 00:15:43.680 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: So there's a couple different answers to that. The way that I got the name master of the piece is that a very, very dear person in my world named Michael Koran, who recently passed away.
00:15:45.023 --> 00:15:45.886 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Yes,
00:15:47.190 --> 00:15:51.400 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: One of the most he was so committed
00:15:51.620 --> 00:15:59.160 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: to love and reaching for joy through whatever he was personally facing. And he was very honest and transparent about it all the time.
00:15:59.830 --> 00:16:27.670 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: And so I had this background. So my backgrounds are audience, interactive theater, clown, theater performance, art improvisation. When I say Clown Theater, I'm not talking about birthday party performing with balloon animals and face painting, which are visual art forms which it takes talent to do. Well, I'm talking about the theatrical art form of Clown Theater, where we take the ups and downs of life and find humor, so we can all get a cathartic release and feel better in our humanity with each other.
00:16:28.150 --> 00:16:38.929 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: So, and I had be, and I started to. 2 friends of mine invited me to officiate their weddings totally out of the blue in the same summer on opposite coasts, and I said, well, why do you want me to do that?
00:16:39.390 --> 00:16:48.290 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: And of course I'll do it. If anybody ever asks you to be in their wedding like, okay, whatever you want. Carry your dress, carry the thing, officiate the thing, whatever you want. I'll do it, of course.
00:16:48.790 --> 00:16:53.950 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: And he said, Well, now, your
00:16:54.800 --> 00:17:12.299 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: a clown and a minister because I was officiating weddings, and he said you should be the jester of the peace instead of the justice of the peace, and I said, you are correct, I should absolutely be the jester of the peace. And then I started to lead with that. So then, when I moved to New York, which was several years later. I was kind of starting over, and I was
00:17:12.410 --> 00:17:31.099 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: thinking, you know what I was really good at that. I love community. I love celebrating people. I love reflecting people back to themselves. I love giving other people an opportunity to express themselves and feel loved and known, which is what the town of Humorville is also about all right. I'll start a business. I'll call it Jester of the Peace. And immediately some people said, You can't call yourself jester of the peace
00:17:31.230 --> 00:17:32.869 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: that is not serious.
00:17:33.170 --> 00:17:43.879 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: And I, this is a serious industry. And I said, actually, there's a whole bunch of people who, if they don't express their creativity in their wedding ceremony. They're not going to feel authentic at all.
00:17:44.010 --> 00:17:52.259 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: and the same would go for the people who need to express their tradition. If they don't express their tradition, they will not feel authentic at all. And so I was serving this very
00:17:52.630 --> 00:18:17.050 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: dynamic, diverse, creative population of people who needed to do costume weddings, helicopter weddings, weddings in the snow, weddings in the woods, running around like whatever they needed to do, and I was the one who was going to take them seriously, and I actually went to Interfaith Seminary because I was so concerned that people wouldn't take my clients seriously if I was a
00:18:17.300 --> 00:18:41.209 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: if I was an Internet minister doing costume weddings, because I care that much about the sacredness of creativity. So that's why my legal title is Reverend Barbara Ann Michaels, and why I have the most lovely moniker, Reverend Barbara Ann Michaels, jester of the piece, which is super fun to say, and the name jester of the piece, even though I'm not a full time officiant anymore. I did 560 weddings. I did some of the 1st legal same-sex marriages in New York State, which was such a
00:18:42.430 --> 00:18:54.689 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: yeah, seriously. And it was like right time, right place, to celebrate just the truth of love which I care about so much, I mean at the heart of it all. I'm committed to people being who they are and giving our gifts to humanity, and that includes the way we love.
00:18:54.910 --> 00:19:02.970 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: So I keep the name jester of the Peace, because it still means humor for humanity. It still means joyfulness for the people.
00:19:03.150 --> 00:19:08.310 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: and I am. I am determined to have more people.
00:19:08.500 --> 00:19:18.180 clementinaesposito: Have more authentic joy in life, as if there's inauthentic joy. I don't even think inauthentic joy exists just like joy period. And sometimes, when I say that.
00:19:18.750 --> 00:19:21.669 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: I sound not serious. I'm so serious.
00:19:22.130 --> 00:19:23.985 clementinaesposito: Oh, no, no, serious
00:19:26.060 --> 00:19:53.599 clementinaesposito: right? It's serious. But I think that's why this show is so important. And talking about. You know, really how important laughter is because we can. So we have so many beautiful, wonderful gifts available to us as human beings. And I feel like more and more people, you know, shy away from them. So I have another rewind question before we move forward. So we have a better understanding of you, and how
00:19:54.463 --> 00:19:55.870 clementinaesposito: how you.
00:19:56.040 --> 00:20:09.019 clementinaesposito: you know, carved out this path for yourself. Was there a moment that you can locate? You know where that put you on the path to humor, or where you made an active, you know, like that 1st act.
00:20:09.020 --> 00:20:09.670 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Yes.
00:20:09.670 --> 00:20:10.170 clementinaesposito: Please.
00:20:10.170 --> 00:20:15.040 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Yes, yes, there is, and we're going to talk about another person who I adore, who passed away.
00:20:15.300 --> 00:20:22.300 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: whose name is Julie Goel, who is a clown teacher and a clown performer and a performing artist.
00:20:24.520 --> 00:20:30.830 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: And yeah. And and so in 1995,
00:20:30.950 --> 00:20:43.210 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: I think 1995. Well, it's more fun to go. In 1994, I went to a place called the Celebration Barn, in South Paris, Maine, which was founded by Tony Montenaro, who was a mime who'd studied with Marcel Marceau.
00:20:43.520 --> 00:20:45.359 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: and I thought, I love dance.
00:20:45.780 --> 00:21:03.470 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: I'm going to really like mine that's going to be fun. I had this background in improvisation. From childhood I was a theater kid. I'm going to enjoy this. I went and I did. I enjoyed it a lot. And then the next year, I thought, Well, what else do they have at the celebration barn? You would think I would have founded the celebration barn? Because that's so. So up my alley.
00:21:03.980 --> 00:21:07.699 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Later on, please remember to ask me what my seminary vow was.
00:21:08.100 --> 00:21:08.460 clementinaesposito: Okay.
00:21:08.960 --> 00:21:14.119 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: When I, because when you go to Interfaith Seminary, you have to write your own vow because you're not getting ordained into a faith.
00:21:14.530 --> 00:21:14.889 clementinaesposito: Okay.
00:21:15.250 --> 00:21:17.230 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Next year I went to Clown Class
00:21:17.870 --> 00:21:27.650 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: with Abner Eisenberg and his wife, Julie Goel, who has now passed away, and I was so terrible.
00:21:28.270 --> 00:21:31.629 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: you know, and I'd always been a smart kid. And if you're a smart kid.
00:21:32.940 --> 00:21:35.840 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: it's like, if you have the answer, everybody's okay.
00:21:36.050 --> 00:21:55.560 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: And if you don't answer. Nobody is okay. I mean, it's what everybody, all children have some kind of scale in which they're being judged. And I happen to be one of the kids who is being judged on the smart scale. And there's other scales that kids are judged on. It could be the physicality scale. It could be the art scale. I was happen to be judged on the smart scale.
00:21:55.740 --> 00:22:08.790 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: and so I was so terrible. I was reaching for jokes, I was so uncomfortable people were just looking at me. I remember just feeling my body tighten up.
00:22:09.050 --> 00:22:18.049 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: and I had no ability to process that much failure, because on the smart scale. Failure is bad if you don't get it right. Things are bad
00:22:18.570 --> 00:22:36.879 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: so, and Clown Theater is so physical, and it's about you. You don't go out and invent your clown character. Your clown character is based on who you are as a human being, and you amplify your own foibles, which is why it's so transformational and why people use it as a spiritual practice and a wellness practice. And one of the reasons I'm so devoted to it.
00:22:37.610 --> 00:22:44.050 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: I was so terrible, and had so little ability to deal with this level of failure that I actually just
00:22:44.760 --> 00:23:02.099 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: burst and just sunk to the floor and started to cry because I had nowhere to go, and it was in my gut, because it's such a physical, fundamental art form. And so I'm doing that. I'm just sobbing, and not having any idea what to do with myself, which is even more embarrassing, and I was already embarrassed.
00:23:02.683 --> 00:23:06.130 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: So now I'm like reinvent redefining embarrassment for myself.
00:23:06.590 --> 00:23:09.359 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Julie trots over, sits next to me.
00:23:09.750 --> 00:23:13.880 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: sits down, she sits down on the stage with me, makes my little head.
00:23:14.510 --> 00:23:17.300 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: puts it in her lap, puts it in her lap.
00:23:18.630 --> 00:23:30.900 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: and and she starts to just smile at me. I think she probably stroked my hair, just laughing, smiling at me, and I have a big soul level pause, which is.
00:23:32.190 --> 00:23:36.630 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: this person is laughing and smiling
00:23:36.830 --> 00:23:40.719 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: because I've lost my bananas, marbles.
00:23:41.690 --> 00:23:49.889 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: and sliced ham like I don't have. I'm totally out of it, and she's happy about it.
00:23:50.620 --> 00:23:52.099 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: How is this possible?
00:23:52.690 --> 00:23:58.670 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: How is she not horrified? How is she celeb? She's wait! Wait! She's celebrating me
00:23:58.860 --> 00:24:01.269 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: for complete and total failure.
00:24:04.880 --> 00:24:13.439 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Everything suddenly, like every everything, is different, because the scale upon which I had been judged was, If you get it right, you win, and if you don't, you lose.
00:24:13.590 --> 00:24:21.080 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: And this was, if you fail horribly, you win. If you show up authentically, you win, if you
00:24:21.370 --> 00:24:28.470 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: there is no more winning. If you just go. If you just open your heart and try your best.
00:24:29.870 --> 00:24:39.009 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: you can laugh about it, and everyone can be better because we're all going to learn from each other, no matter what happened. And then we're going to do it some more, and we're actually going to call it play.
00:24:39.880 --> 00:24:44.480 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: That was a totally game changing moment in my world.
00:24:44.810 --> 00:24:48.059 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: and I remember when she passed away I was in Barcelona.
00:24:48.380 --> 00:24:54.869 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: and she has a beautiful piece of theater, where she was an opera singer who was a maid.
00:24:55.060 --> 00:25:01.990 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: and she would sweep, and she had a suitcase, and I went to Sagrada Familia in Barcelona with another friend of mine.
00:25:02.500 --> 00:25:06.700 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: and we improvised a piece in her honor
00:25:06.820 --> 00:25:16.230 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: on the day that I discovered that she passed away where we were just invisibly sweeping the steps, and laughing and running and doing everything that I could, because she really opened
00:25:16.540 --> 00:25:17.620 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: my heart.
00:25:18.360 --> 00:25:19.010 clementinaesposito: And then.
00:25:19.010 --> 00:25:26.800 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Even bigger. It's even bigger than that. It's like she opened up some kind of alternative way of existing.
00:25:27.470 --> 00:25:28.240 clementinaesposito: Portal.
00:25:28.240 --> 00:25:53.423 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Yeah, yeah, she basically. She opened a portal in my soul, really. And and I don't even think she knows. I don't think I ever had the opportunity to even tell her that story. I don't know that she ever heard it, and I don't know that Abner's ever even heard it. I mean, I've talked about it on podcasts before, but it's like, once that happened, I committed the rest of my life to helping other people, be seen and heard and celebrated, no matter what they had come through.
00:25:55.010 --> 00:26:01.749 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: with whatever they're bringing at the time, whether it's or playful. It's like whatever you got going on.
00:26:02.120 --> 00:26:02.590 clementinaesposito: Right.
00:26:02.590 --> 00:26:05.540 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Let's just open the door to the possibility of
00:26:05.690 --> 00:26:10.839 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: of finding some humor with this situation, so you can be free and reclaim your stuck energy.
00:26:11.860 --> 00:26:16.979 clementinaesposito: That's amazing. And so now you've gone so far as to create an entire town.
00:26:17.190 --> 00:26:17.520 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Yeah.
00:26:17.520 --> 00:26:19.519 clementinaesposito: Can you tell me more about? Tell us more.
00:26:19.520 --> 00:26:33.089 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Yes, yes, it's so funny. So when I was a wedding officiant, the gesture of the peace, I went back to my street theater roots because I'd been, you know, I'd been a street performer. I'd been a tour guide. I'd been a stilt walker. I've been, you know, all different kinds of things.
00:26:33.520 --> 00:26:36.400 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: and I started marrying people to themselves in the street.
00:26:36.520 --> 00:26:38.659 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: So I had a photographer marry their camera.
00:26:38.770 --> 00:26:42.909 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: I had a little kid marry their favorite dinosaur. I had a woman marry her creativity.
00:26:43.760 --> 00:26:49.029 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: I had a I once had a guy marry his fear of commitment. I thought that was pretty bold and funny.
00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:53.829 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: And so I started marrying people to themselves in the street.
00:26:53.950 --> 00:27:20.390 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: And I also would do like friend, symbolic friend marriages so like there's no there's no opportunity to have a ceremony to honor your relationship with your best friend. And why not? So? We would do that. And then I also. This is before same sex. Marriage was legal in New York State. I would go in the Pride parade and just walk in the parade and be like who wants to get married right now, and people would be like, I want to get married right now. I've been waiting for 35 years, and and so I would do little spontaneous ceremonies.
00:27:20.630 --> 00:27:26.730 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: that. And then I started to vote for people to be president of whatever they want in the street.
00:27:27.240 --> 00:27:33.610 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: And then I started interviewing people about times from their lives that were hard then that are funny now, like a library.
00:27:33.780 --> 00:27:43.539 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: And then I made a phone booth installation where people could call themselves on the phone and tell themselves everything they were holding back. And that was also in Barcelona. And
00:27:43.840 --> 00:27:57.380 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: one day, after touring all of these installations in corporate, at conferences, at parties, at cultural events, at museums, on the street, wherever I was doing it. One day I realized, wait a second. I made
00:27:57.920 --> 00:28:06.409 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: a library, a voting booth, a marriage bureau, a parade, holidays, a museum. I made a town. This is a town. It's a town I was
00:28:07.330 --> 00:28:12.110 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: given a town. I don't know that how many people were given a town, so I've been given this town.
00:28:12.788 --> 00:28:14.980 clementinaesposito: Let's pause right there, because yeah.
00:28:15.200 --> 00:28:17.560 clementinaesposito: break. And oh, my gosh, this is so excited. So we have.
00:28:17.560 --> 00:28:18.589 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: But one came back.
00:28:18.860 --> 00:28:25.130 clementinaesposito: When we come back you'll tell us how the town became Humorville. Yes, and and where people can see it, and all that.
00:28:25.130 --> 00:28:27.950 clementinaesposito: Absolutely alright! Take it to break.
00:30:07.990 --> 00:30:22.790 clementinaesposito: Hello, Hello, everybody! We are back at the happy spot, and we have Barbara Ann Michaels, jester of the peace with us this evening, and we are talking about all things joy and humor.
00:30:23.850 --> 00:30:30.650 clementinaesposito: and we just got into we just for those of you who are may just be joining us. Now
00:30:30.680 --> 00:30:59.630 clementinaesposito: Barbara is talking about how she ended up being, as she describes it, gifted an entire town through one inspiration after another. And wow! So we right before break. We got to the point where she had people marrying parts of themselves and their vocations, and she had a phone booth and go ahead. Barbara, pick it up from there.
00:30:59.630 --> 00:31:01.400 clementinaesposito: Yes, and hired.
00:31:01.400 --> 00:31:02.259 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: So much.
00:31:03.530 --> 00:31:10.930 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Yeah, so this town and I decided to call it Humorville. I don't know if Humorville is the name of it forever, but you have to call it something.
00:31:11.040 --> 00:31:12.859 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: So we're starting off with Humorville.
00:31:13.070 --> 00:31:18.340 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: And as of this recording, I know people will listen to it in the future. But as of this recording.
00:31:18.980 --> 00:31:22.129 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: I am about to do the very 1st pop-up
00:31:22.420 --> 00:31:31.000 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: of Humorville as a multi-station installation. Keep in mind. I've been touring the parts of Humorville for between 10 and about 15 years. So I've already tested all the parts.
00:31:31.650 --> 00:31:35.089 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: I just didn't know it was a town until I knew it was a town, because you don't know what you know until you know it.
00:31:35.510 --> 00:31:39.643 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: or you don't see what you saw until you see it. I can never unsee that I have a town.
00:31:40.360 --> 00:31:53.980 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: so I there's a wonderful, wonderful nonprofit called Shashama CHAS. HAMA. That I've worked with many times. One of the reasons I've worked with them many times is, they totally understand me understand clowns. It was founded by Anita durst
00:31:54.860 --> 00:31:59.380 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: they put artists in commercial real estate spaces in between rentals of the space.
00:31:59.490 --> 00:32:23.159 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: They gave me a residency in Port Authority to uplift commuters. We did my love letter lounge post office on 30 in a storefront on 37th Street. I did the marriage bureau in another storefront on 40 Second Street, and so they've been like this partner of mine testing the parts without even realizing it. And they're about to do their 30th anniversary gala.
00:32:23.300 --> 00:32:24.919 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: And it's the very last gala.
00:32:25.803 --> 00:32:27.020 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: That they're going to have.
00:32:27.970 --> 00:32:33.109 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: And I have a and it's 300 artists taking over 2 floors of an office building.
00:32:33.470 --> 00:32:42.189 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: And I have one of the rooms, and I'm and for the 1st time I'm taking this these projects that I've been touring independently and putting 6 of them all in one room.
00:32:42.880 --> 00:32:55.760 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: And after I do that for the 2 nights of this gala. I am then taking that installation and putting it in the storefront in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where I'm the artist in residence.
00:32:56.440 --> 00:33:04.400 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: and I'm going and and establishing it as the tourist attraction for your heart and running it as an art installation. That's also a tourist attraction.
00:33:05.540 --> 00:33:12.960 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: So people can come with their group, with their family group, with their friend Group, with their business group by themselves on a date, whatever it's going to be
00:33:15.770 --> 00:33:18.980 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: experience being seen, heard and celebrated
00:33:19.380 --> 00:33:33.760 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: by touring Humorville and participating in all the installations, because everything is audience participatory because they're because seen, heard and celebrated is really really vital. I mean, seen and heard is only part of the story seen, heard and celebrated is where it's really at.
00:33:39.720 --> 00:33:42.209 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: And it looks to me like.
00:33:42.210 --> 00:33:48.831 clementinaesposito: Right, and soon thereafter. We you invited me to, you know I dance like you, which is where
00:33:49.420 --> 00:34:01.270 clementinaesposito: Where? I saw you really remarkably doing that, you know, seeing, hearing, celebrating people, and
00:34:01.440 --> 00:34:07.290 clementinaesposito: in a matter of minutes, I mean, I don't. I don't think I'll ever forget that one guy.
00:34:08.219 --> 00:34:29.479 clementinaesposito: He was the photographer, right? He was a videographer, photographer, and when he realized what was, you know. So for those of you listening, it was like, walk up to somebody in Thompson Square Park and try to make eye contact, and, you know, try to find a way in and then really mirror their facial expressions, their body movements, whatever was happening. And you know, when he realized
00:34:29.929 --> 00:34:36.500 clementinaesposito: that we were mirroring him, just the the complete change.
00:34:37.022 --> 00:34:52.340 clementinaesposito: You know that I saw in his whole, you know, body and his facial expression, and just the joy of being really mirrored in that way. So can you talk more about some of the changes that you've seen and
00:34:52.449 --> 00:34:54.679 clementinaesposito: in people and
00:34:56.320 --> 00:34:56.940 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Yes.
00:34:57.150 --> 00:35:04.420 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Well, I'd be happy to do that. And before I do that, would you describe
00:35:04.590 --> 00:35:10.710 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: the change you experienced in yourself because you participated in. I dance like you, and I'd love to hear.
00:35:10.710 --> 00:35:13.020 clementinaesposito: Oh, yeah, well, like, you experience.
00:35:13.020 --> 00:35:13.580 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Against.
00:35:13.580 --> 00:35:16.419 clementinaesposito: Yeah, I had the most. Oh, my
00:35:16.750 --> 00:35:23.879 clementinaesposito: gosh, I had the most stressful morning that morning, you know. I'll spare you the gory details, but, like
00:35:24.224 --> 00:35:48.349 clementinaesposito: you know, 1 1 thing included, you know, getting passports for my kids and having to, you know, all the moving parts for that, and all the little like attention to detail. And you know, worrying that I had every single thing that we needed, and you know all that, and then a work thing, and you know just everything blowing up. And I was really having a hard time.
00:35:48.350 --> 00:35:53.950 clementinaesposito: even though I was really excited, to come to the city that day. I was really having a hard time letting any of it go
00:35:54.730 --> 00:36:05.959 clementinaesposito: and and yeah. And I mean, if you remember, I I actually then I when I got into the energy of the city, you know I don't know what was going on.
00:36:06.400 --> 00:36:07.345 clementinaesposito: but
00:36:09.010 --> 00:36:12.840 clementinaesposito: I I felt like a human
00:36:13.910 --> 00:36:32.779 clementinaesposito: sponge, like I was just picking up like I had no filter, just like I was while we were everybody and everything around me, and it was just like, simply too much and and I fainted. And you know I I and then still
00:36:32.780 --> 00:36:57.750 clementinaesposito: didn't know how much I really was going to be able to participate in the rest of the day, but then, really couldn't resist. Once I saw you guys having so much fun with all the other people, you know, and and really and really just, you know, just ended up dancing and doing all the things. And so I've been having these episodes of intermittent fainting, which you know.
00:36:57.750 --> 00:37:07.939 clementinaesposito: you know I've been tested, and it's nothing nothing terrible. So, but I have never. They're usually so scary.
00:37:08.239 --> 00:37:11.530 clementinaesposito: That it takes me a long time to recover from them.
00:37:12.138 --> 00:37:38.569 clementinaesposito: So just the fact that I was surrounded by such positivity, and that we were doing this thing, I think, was a huge part of how I you know. But by the time we left the event I was like totally fine. It was like it never happened, and that has never happened when I've had one of those. So so yeah, bringing other people, joy was just wonderful, and that you could see, you know, sort of the the sort of
00:37:38.750 --> 00:37:46.139 clementinaesposito: you know. It's almost like confusion, then disbelief, then recognition.
00:37:48.980 --> 00:37:55.490 clementinaesposito: What's happening? And then, the moment that we're mirroring them. And we're.
00:37:56.680 --> 00:38:18.409 clementinaesposito: you know, going to have joyful movements and dance, and whatever dance moves they do, we're going to do. And even though they're the same. They're different. Because, you know, everybody's body's different, and everybody moves differently. And yeah, it was really, I didn't know I needed to do something like that. So? Thank you. Because it was really it was pretty wonderful.
00:38:19.320 --> 00:38:29.389 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: I love hearing you say that, and it's very meaningful for me to hear which we hadn't talked about before, that that was the fastest recovery you'd ever experienced from a
00:38:29.620 --> 00:38:43.320 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: situation of fainting going into joy that quickly. And I say that there's a lot of physiology. So one of the things about the projects that I have, and thank you so much for sharing your experience
00:38:43.850 --> 00:38:44.610 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: of
00:38:44.920 --> 00:38:59.809 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: is that they're all about something serious. What I've discovered over the years is, if I make a playful invitation, people can give me a serious answer, and if I make a serious invitation I get an answer, maybe half the time, because people get in their head. But a playful invitation puts people in their heart. And so
00:38:59.980 --> 00:39:10.019 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: I dance like you is really like, how connected are we? Are you open to connection? That's what it's really about, because the mirroring that we're doing
00:39:10.150 --> 00:39:22.659 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: it brings people a feeling of safety. If you're mirroring what I'm doing. Then we are really safe, because I'm I'm in charge of this situation, and you're listening to me, and it goes underneath language. It goes underneath everything I mean.
00:39:22.660 --> 00:39:23.190 clementinaesposito: Hmm.
00:39:23.190 --> 00:39:41.939 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: I vote for you, which is the you vote to be President. Whatever you want, that's about. What do you stand for and marry yourself is about. What are you committed to? And the love letter lounge, post office is about, what do you need to say? And so there's I'm a very serious artist, using humor as a strategy because
00:39:42.610 --> 00:39:54.329 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: funny, familiar, and simple. Lower all the barriers to entry. And it's my my desire, and also a town. I mean, no one needs to figure out how to vote. You just go and vote for yourself. And so
00:39:54.870 --> 00:40:07.719 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: I I'm I'm driven to lower the barriers to entry to make it as easy as possible, which is why I'll call it a tourist attraction if I call it an art installation. A whole bunch of people aren't gonna come to it because art installation sounds strange.
00:40:08.017 --> 00:40:09.799 clementinaesposito: Wondered about that. Yeah. I wondered.
00:40:09.800 --> 00:40:15.870 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Call it a tourist attraction for your heart. Nobody has anything in the way about a tourist attraction. So let's just call it that.
00:40:16.522 --> 00:40:24.589 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: What what we're it. I dance like you especially affirms. And I wanted to make sure that we talked about this because it's so key.
00:40:24.710 --> 00:40:38.869 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: The difference between being with each other and at each other. So if I if I just we can do it together, just like, take on, take on the the phrase, they're they're laughing at me. Just internalize for a nanosecond. They're laughing at me.
00:40:40.230 --> 00:40:47.420 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: and when I put that in my body I can feel my shoulders start to sink, and my chest starts to sink, and there's just like a heaviness that comes on.
00:40:47.780 --> 00:40:52.149 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: And then, if I shake that off because obviously I would want to, and if I then if I take on.
00:40:52.940 --> 00:40:54.559 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: they're laughing with me.
00:40:55.750 --> 00:40:57.040 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: They're laughing with me.
00:40:58.860 --> 00:41:07.029 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: I can see it on your face like the the light, the there's a lightness, and my whole body moves up. They're laughing with me. So
00:41:07.260 --> 00:41:22.009 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: if we trend laughing with, we will create love in the world. If we trend laughing at, we create divisiveness, it's not a hundred percent every once in a while. Laughing at is the right thing. For whatever reason it's not, you know. It's not, however, in general, if we trend this.
00:41:22.310 --> 00:41:30.910 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: And so I suggest that sometimes, especially in the United States, that we have some young people choosing violence as a solution.
00:41:31.060 --> 00:41:38.090 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: I believe this. This is a theory that I have, that they feel, seen and heard rejected.
00:41:39.130 --> 00:41:42.709 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: because it's the at situation. I see you, I hear you, and
00:41:42.950 --> 00:41:54.140 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: I'm laughing at you versus I see you. I hear you. I'm laughing with you, and it's actually possible. If we're in a laughing at situation to change it into a laughing with situation. And the way to do that
00:41:54.810 --> 00:42:01.789 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: is, say, you know. Say, this person over here is being is being picked on because they made a mistake
00:42:01.990 --> 00:42:19.430 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: and say they made some kind of clerical mistake at work. And I could say, oh, yeah, they made that clerical mistake at work, you know. One time, when I was working for a theater company, I accidentally deleted a field and almost sent 3,000 postcards to the wrong address.
00:42:20.920 --> 00:42:22.720 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: which is a true story.
00:42:24.160 --> 00:42:26.910 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: But so what I've done is, I've
00:42:27.030 --> 00:42:38.439 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: found a reason why I have something. It's funny. Now, story to me about that relates to the reason why the person is being picked on and then laughing at can't hold on.
00:42:38.540 --> 00:43:07.170 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: because as soon as laughing with, is in the room laughing at, has to let go. And if I if I if that's what some, if that's it for you listening, if that's what you remember today to laugh, help people laugh with each other, not at great. If what you remember today is is that humor is a human right? Great. If you. What you remember today is, let's share our stories that were hard then that are funny. Now something bad happens. Bring somebody a casserole. If something bad happens, let's see if we can get to the 1st laugh if it's too soon. That's okay.
00:43:07.170 --> 00:43:09.980 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: So those are some some things to remember.
00:43:10.360 --> 00:43:21.320 clementinaesposito: Yeah, that's great. And we're gonna go to another break. And when we come back we can, we can pick it up with. We got a couple of different directions. We could go with that. But we'll we'll take it to break.
00:43:22.780 --> 00:43:24.149 clementinaesposito: We'll be right back.
00:45:15.130 --> 00:45:33.150 clementinaesposito: Awesome. So it feels like the the best segue forward. I know you wanted to. You mentioned earlier. You wanted to talk about the differences between positive and negative humor. And I think that's sort of the territory we were going in. Do you feel like you've covered it, or do you feel you have more to say on that topic.
00:45:33.600 --> 00:45:38.679 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: I think that so so just represence it. It's
00:45:39.440 --> 00:45:49.340 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: the difference between laughing with each other, which is connective and laughing at each other, which is divisive. The thing about this is, it applies to every relationship we have, including our relationship with ourselves.
00:45:49.690 --> 00:45:53.670 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: It's our relationship. How do I talk to myself. Am I willing to laugh with myself?
00:45:53.990 --> 00:45:58.929 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Do I do I put myself down? Do I? Am I sarcastic to myself?
00:45:59.050 --> 00:46:04.080 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Am I? What's the state of my self-love. How how much am I embracing
00:46:04.280 --> 00:46:21.470 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: my humanity, and allowing myself to laugh with myself, and allowing other people to laugh with me? Do I isolate myself. When things go wrong, or do I let myself reach for other people to help me laugh with the situation? Those are good reflection, good reflection, questions
00:46:21.690 --> 00:46:30.129 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: about the difference between laughing with and laughing at, which is the difference between positive negative humor. It's really to be able to move a room
00:46:30.380 --> 00:46:46.430 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: or or a group, or even 2 people from laughing at to laughing with is extraordinarily powerful, and I do. One of the reasons I work on. Humor is, I think that humor is really underappreciated. Part of the reason for that is that we, that humor has been stuck in the entertainment industry.
00:46:47.520 --> 00:46:50.190 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: I have. People say to me
00:46:50.660 --> 00:46:52.660 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: just like I have. People say
00:46:53.420 --> 00:46:57.789 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: I'm not creative. I can't draw as if creativity.
00:46:57.940 --> 00:47:16.460 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: which is the invention of our lives and responding to the universe is is determined about whether someone can draw accurately with a pencil or not. I'm not creative or I'm not an artist I can't draw, it's so boxed in. And so what people will say. I'm not funny. I'm not a comedian.
00:47:17.060 --> 00:47:23.200 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: as if the only allowable source of humor in our lives is a professional comedian
00:47:23.420 --> 00:47:37.649 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: who's exhausted themselves with difficult gigs until they made it in big time and are being paid on an international network like if I can't. If I'm not a comedian, I can't have humor in my life, because it's not safe.
00:47:38.410 --> 00:47:50.419 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: And what I would say is that that's what laughing at does. As soon as we realize that the humor condition that going from the human condition to the humor condition
00:47:50.790 --> 00:48:20.440 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: is about finding laughter with our lives and with each other. Then we reclaim humor for humanity. We reclaim humor as a human right, and and that's what we're here to do. Humor is a natural part of the healing process, because before the 1st laugh happens, the thing owns us emotionally, and we can't even believe that laughter could ever occur, which is why people need to see people do impossible things with humor, like laugh with what was hard, just like we need to go to the circus to see people hang off the high wire.
00:48:20.550 --> 00:48:34.610 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Maybe I can be a little bit more brave emotionally. Maybe I can reclaim humor as a human right for myself which it is. It's absolutely critical to wellness to find humor with the journey. That doesn't mean everything is going to be.
00:48:35.000 --> 00:48:37.240 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: find humor in everyone.
00:48:37.240 --> 00:48:52.599 clementinaesposito: So interesting as I'm listening to you. I'm doing these reverse sort of things in my head. I'm like having all these epiphanies, you know where I actually, as you were talking about. Oh, well, if you can take laughing at like, I remember this
00:48:52.820 --> 00:48:57.889 clementinaesposito: this this time in college, when I thought people were laughing with me.
00:48:58.270 --> 00:49:27.980 clementinaesposito: And then, you know, and it's actually, you know, I've written about it. And you know, when I read that line like, oh, yeah. And then I realized they were laughing at me. You can feel the whole like everybody's like, oh, right like, it's like, right? Because and and I didn't even, you know I wasn't so cognizant as I am now. You know about what you're saying, but it's like I remember just that sense of, and I know it's palpable to other people, because that's the response I've gotten in. Read alouds of that part right? Like everyone just goes. Oh.
00:49:28.210 --> 00:49:42.989 clementinaesposito: right, you know. I mean, you just feel that. Let down that disappointment. And as you were talking just now, I was thinking, Yeah, isn't it always just the biggest indicator, too, when you're in an unhealthy environment is there's no laughter
00:49:43.330 --> 00:50:00.390 clementinaesposito: right like, or the laugh is gone right? Or in a relationship like we never laugh anymore. Right? You know. And it's like, it's just, you know, it can be just in in, you know, sometimes people like, How do you know if you're in a you know, a toxic workplace, or it's like, Well, if you can't laugh.
00:50:00.700 --> 00:50:11.405 clementinaesposito: you know or even just the ways that I mean, I can remember. This is so all this. It's bringing up so much stuff for me, you know. I can remember
00:50:11.870 --> 00:50:26.959 clementinaesposito: When I 1st started my my business I got my 1st podcast. Interview, and I was like so nervous. And I remember my father being like, just make sure you don't. You know, reveal that that crazy laugh.
00:50:27.360 --> 00:50:32.260 clementinaesposito: you know, and right like, right like almost like it's, you know. And I was like what.
00:50:32.260 --> 00:50:32.890 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Wow!
00:50:32.890 --> 00:50:34.180 clementinaesposito: All right, like what?
00:50:35.100 --> 00:50:48.730 clementinaesposito: Right? And it's like, Ew. Right? But I'm sure if that has happened to me that has happened to other people where I have to be honest, it took me a couple of years to recover from that like anytime I left. I was like
00:50:48.840 --> 00:51:08.480 clementinaesposito: self-conscious about it right. And now I you know, I've I've since realized I've since like really just come into it and owned it. And I realize it's such a big indicator of a toxic relationship or workplace, or whatever like laughing prohibition. Right? Yes, yeah.
00:51:08.660 --> 00:51:12.699 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: If you, if you can own
00:51:13.190 --> 00:51:16.780 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: that your story about your laugh
00:51:16.970 --> 00:51:25.680 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: can free other people because you think it's funny. Now I can tell, because this is how you know. You know that a story has reached the humor condition
00:51:25.810 --> 00:51:32.470 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: when you may laugh or smile, it brings energy to your face, and you feel lighter when you tell the story, even if it was about something that was hard.
00:51:32.600 --> 00:51:46.979 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Yeah. And and that's that's how you know that you can, and so I don't. We don't walk around. I may have said this earlier. We don't walk around knowing that we can help other people with our stories. You can help people with that story, and you don't even know what you can help people about. You just can by by being out there with it.
00:51:47.890 --> 00:51:53.810 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: It's it's just our our awareness of the power of humor.
00:51:54.250 --> 00:52:03.810 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: That's it's I didn't invent humor for wellness. It's part of the human condition. We just have forgotten that. And the other thing about being at work.
00:52:05.020 --> 00:52:34.829 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: People want to work with people who feel like friends, and if you take the friendship qualities out of work. Because there's this weird idea that you can be a worker and not a human being. Nobody can leave their personal life at the door and work. You can try, but you can't concentrate, and you have to get 5 glasses of water because you don't feel good, and it's inhumane to think that we can leave our humanity at the door and go to work. And so, if we, the friendship values are
00:52:34.950 --> 00:52:42.240 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: storytelling, laughing together, listening, supporting each other.
00:52:42.300 --> 00:53:10.920 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: inventing new things together, having inside jokes. If there are no inside jokes in the office, it is an unhealthy environment, because those are the friendship feelings, and if we hold back humor, we hold back business. We impede the flow of business. We impede wellness and business by holding back humor, and so humor, for humanity includes humor for the workplace, and that really is about
00:53:11.010 --> 00:53:20.519 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: laughing with benefits through everybody's well-being, having more energy to do the task at hand, feeling better. And there there are studies on on
00:53:20.740 --> 00:53:28.559 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: there. There are studies on on wellness and and play, and there's a lot of them. And one of my favorite statistics
00:53:29.180 --> 00:53:34.679 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: is a children laugh 300 times a day.
00:53:35.540 --> 00:53:36.150 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: How often.
00:53:36.610 --> 00:53:38.650 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: How often do adults left average.
00:53:38.650 --> 00:53:39.490 clementinaesposito: Wow!
00:53:39.710 --> 00:53:42.080 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: 300 versus. What do you think? Take a guess.
00:53:42.080 --> 00:53:44.048 clementinaesposito: Oh, my gosh! I have no idea.
00:53:44.330 --> 00:53:46.510 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Yes, you can't do it wrong.
00:53:48.190 --> 00:53:50.360 clementinaesposito: 3 before the 7.
00:53:50.360 --> 00:53:57.930 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: We're doing way better. We're way better. I'm so glad we're doing better than that. 17. It's 317.
00:53:58.230 --> 00:54:05.070 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: So, and part of. That is because Delph has been told that
00:54:05.230 --> 00:54:11.020 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: humor and player for children, humor and player, not for children, humor and player for humans, humans be able.
00:54:11.590 --> 00:54:31.209 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: The reason that I speak on humor and wellness and do my, the parts of my town across corporate community conferences, cultural and academic, is because there are no environments where humor for the journey does not apply. There are 0 places where humans are gathered, where we don't need humor for the journey, including with our own selves when we're alone.
00:54:31.630 --> 00:54:32.450 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: So.
00:54:32.450 --> 00:54:43.279 clementinaesposito: Wow. So I we have to go soon. But I bet you just hit on a question I really want to ask you, which is like you've created these spaces where people can come together in community
00:54:43.550 --> 00:55:04.139 clementinaesposito: and experience humor together. Is there a difference between laughing? I mean, I often laugh by myself. Is there a difference? Does being in community with people amplify? Or is it more of sort of what you were talking about when I laugh? I give other people permission to laugh or.
00:55:04.510 --> 00:55:14.568 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: It's all the. It's all the above the next part. The next part of the town that I'm putting in is it's either a bank or a garden, or maybe both which is about
00:55:14.840 --> 00:55:17.849 clementinaesposito: To get a garden. You're gonna need a bank gardening.
00:55:17.850 --> 00:55:29.179 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: So it started off as the bank of laughter. But I love the quote. The Emerson quote, the earth laughs and flowers, so we'll see, but the laughter is laughter appreciates.
00:55:29.310 --> 00:55:36.299 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: So it's the opportunity for people to send in a recording of a laugh of someone that they love, especially those wild, crazy laughs like yours.
00:55:37.350 --> 00:55:55.299 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: and and to and to send in a recording of this laugh, and why they love this person so much, and then put that in the bank of laughter, because laughter appreciates anybody who has any laughter. If it's laughing with it grows in value, and whether that's you're by yourself or with community. It all goes in the same direction, and
00:55:55.460 --> 00:55:59.629 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: that leads me to. I wanted to share what my seminary vow was.
00:55:59.970 --> 00:56:08.259 clementinaesposito: No, yes, and I forgot. I'm sorry. Please share your seminary vow and follow it up with how people can get in touch with you, even though.
00:56:08.260 --> 00:56:15.460 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: So this and this is a paraphrase, but it goes with what we're saying, and I think it's a nice way to kind of wrap it up because it wraps up what's important to me.
00:56:15.940 --> 00:56:19.819 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: But but me as a representative of humans with hearts
00:56:19.930 --> 00:56:26.790 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: and and humor for humanity and humor as a human right. It's something like, I vow
00:56:26.940 --> 00:56:35.019 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: to see and embrace all life as an equal expression of love.
00:56:35.300 --> 00:56:37.649 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: and I will unite us all in celebration.
00:56:39.920 --> 00:56:42.320 clementinaesposito: That's beautiful. That's really really beautiful.
00:56:42.320 --> 00:57:01.440 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: That is my. So people can get in touch with me. So all of my socials are gesture of the peace. If you look up gesture of the peace, JEST. ER. Of the PEAC. E. Across almost any platform I will be found jesterofthepeace.com is my website. My calendar is pretty up to date on where I'm touring next
00:57:02.529 --> 00:57:03.359 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: anybody
00:57:04.280 --> 00:57:24.140 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: who wants to participate can send me a message like, if you want to participate in a dance like you, or or find out what's coming up next, or bring me to speak, at events, because I speak on humor and wellness audience interactively. I love to do that. I love to travel so gestureofthepeace.com is the best place to go or gesture of the peace on socials, anywhere.
00:57:24.850 --> 00:57:47.539 clementinaesposito: Oh, my gosh, wonderful! Well, Barbara, thank you so much for reminding us that humor is not frivolous. It's it's it's everything. It's crucial to our well-being, and anybody who wants to have a laugh, or like actively choose to remind themselves how important humor is. I can't recommend your work enough.
00:57:48.660 --> 00:57:51.219 clementinaesposito: Oh, delighted that you said yes, and that you're here.
00:57:51.630 --> 00:57:54.920 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: It's a as I said earlier, it's a total honor and a pleasure to be here
00:57:55.030 --> 00:57:58.030 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: and take our vitamin h together. Our.
00:57:58.030 --> 00:57:58.360 clementinaesposito: Yes.
00:57:58.550 --> 00:58:03.260 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Or our vitamin l for laughter, or our vitamin W. For whimsy, or whatever we want to call it.
00:58:03.450 --> 00:58:13.090 clementinaesposito: Totally, or you reminded me of a childhood friend. I guess I giggled a lot. Then who also said, who used to ask me every day. Did you take your giggle suit today?
00:58:14.190 --> 00:58:22.900 clementinaesposito: Soup today? And I haven't thought of her in years. So, Camille, if you're out there, she always made me laugh and smile. Did you take your giggle soup today?
00:58:22.900 --> 00:58:35.500 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: I also appreciate you for telling some of your own story, because I, all of my work, is about having people be seen, heard, and celebrated, and that includes people who are supposedly interviewing me.
00:58:36.356 --> 00:58:41.860 clementinaesposito: Well, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. It really was an honor. All right, everybody.
00:58:41.860 --> 00:58:46.599 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Thank you, everyone. Oh, this is the the way I, the way I end the way I always end.
00:58:46.740 --> 00:58:56.549 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: at least always to this point is, is this, this is my, this is my my wish for us all, which is, may you walk with humor.
00:58:56.710 --> 00:58:58.210 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: may you walk with humor.
00:58:58.520 --> 00:58:59.850 clementinaesposito: And you walk with humor.
00:59:02.500 --> 00:59:03.479 Barbara Ann Michaels, Jester Of The Peace: Thank you.
00:59:04.230 --> 00:59:05.580 clementinaesposito: Walk with humor. New York.
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