Footnote: Boots arrived (during the pandemic isolation in March, 2020). In the early stage of the drawing, Boots was leaning against the globe, ground to a halt. But as the drawing progressed, the continents became stars. The biggest, falling right on top of Boot’s head. Stuck, she became in the – ‘in-between’.
But this was not to be the end – of the drawing. Of the world. Boots raised a hand, cautiously turning back a corner of the fallen star. And there, right alongside her, a faintly glowing object of mystery, rolled up, rolled up.
Was it a ball for juggling? Mirroring a juggled conscience? Dropped or forgotten? Left behind or gone astray? Or maybe it was that small thing that so easily gets lost or overlooked? Still there. Still waiting. Perhaps something new? A gift. Small and precious. A reminder that there are things that need much greater care that we ever imagine — and quite often forget. Until something rolls up, rolls up…
Boots (the Clown) was a worrier (underneath). She worried about all the trouble in the world. She worried it was getting even harder for those struggling to be heard or seen amidst the din of selling, frenzy of buying and glare of celebrity.
Boots worried endlessly about the children. The fires. The trees. The animals. The ocean. The air. And that one day, everything would be lost. All these worries seemed impossible to do anything about. Until one strange day, the curtain went up.
Time stopped. Something was in the air that changed everything. People began to see each other again. Help each other again. Speak to their neighbours. Wave to strangers. Smile at each other through windows. The world was warming – but this time in a good way.
What felt impossible yesterday, now felt so much closer to possible. And with new things to worry about, the old worries suddenly took a back seat.
But Boots wasn’t worried that those things were being neglected. Boots could see that the solution to many of the old worries was on its way through the changes the world was making to solve the new worry.
And so, through the urgency and seriousness of the new worry, for the very first time, the whole world united. Everyone was finally waking up. A new way had to be seen. The music could now be heard. The crowd were singing together. And this time, they were not so out of tune.
(Boots The Clown – The World’s Greatest Act. March, 2020).
‘Boots’ the Clown was a worrier (underneath). Boots worried about all the troubles right around the world. Boots worried that it was getting harder and harder for those struggling to be heard or seen amidst the din of selling, frenzy of buying and glare of celebrity.
‘Boots’ worried endlessly about the children. The fires. The trees. The animals. The ocean. The air. And that one day, everything would be lost. All of these worries seemed impossible to do anything about. Until, one strange day, the curtain went up.
Time stopped. Something was in the air that changed everything. People began to see each other again. Help each other again. Speak to their neighbours. Wave to strangers. Smile at each other through windows. The world was warming – but this time, in a good way.
What felt impossible yesterday—now felt so much closer to possible. And with new things to worry about, the old worries suddenly took a back seat.
But ‘Boots’ wasn’t worried that those things were being neglected. ‘Boots’ could see that the solution to many of the old worries was on its way through the changes the world was making to solve the new worry.
And so, through the urgency and seriousness of the new worry, for the very first time, the whole world united. Everyone was finally waking up. A new way had to be seen. The music could now being heard. The crowd were singing together. And this time, they were not so out of tune.
