Cirqus of the Stars

I recently took the family down to Disney World in Orlando (or as i refer to it, “The Bataan Death March” – but that’s another post altogether).  The kids had a blast, of course – and even the adults had some fun.  Towards the end of our trip, the adults got a single nights’ reprieve: a nice dinner out that didn’t involve chicken strips and tickets to one of our favorite performance groups, Cirque du Soleil.  For the uninitiated, Cirque du Soleil (which translates into, “Cirque of the Soleil”) has a permanent performance space at Disney’s “Downtown” area and having seen a number of their shows in both Vegas and New York, I can say, without reservation, that the Disney performance, “La Nouba” (“The Nouba”) is spectacular.   
And it was made even MORE spectacular because of the seats we got – second row, center stage.  Awesome, and no foolin’.  Not being a VIP or wealthy, my seats for “O” in Las Vegas were located just outside of Reno.  I’m used to sitting in the bleachers.  But somehow we got lucky, and (foreshadowing alert!) saw the performance from a totally new vantage point.
Now I realize Cirque du Soleil is not everyone’s cup o’ soup, so i’m not gonna try to sell you on the troupe, and not gonna tell you how amazing they are.  They are.  What I wanna discuss is safety.
Those of you who have seen a performance – live or on TV – know that the stunts they pull off are incredible.  You’re gasping with each insane balancing act, display of dexterity or mind-blowing “fall.”  Truly a feast for the eyes.  What you may not know – and what my vantage point afforded me – is that every “stunt” is secured by nearly-invisible safety tether.  EVERY one.  Every display of equilibrium.  Every palm-sweating tightrope walk.  Every climb up an impossibly-angled wall.  They’re all doing it with wires, so to speak.
At first, I was a little disappointed.  I freely admit that I’m one of THOSE guys – the one who watches NASCAR for the 26-car pile-up.  Not all the time, mind you.  But there’s definitely that part of me.  The part that felt a little cheated.  I mean, where’s the risk? Where’s the sense of adventure and thrill?  Where’s the Belgian acrobat with the compound fracture?
But the more I thought about it – and the more I watched – the more I realized that the safety was part of the genius of the show.  They could happily take all these faux risks.  They had back-up.  They had a Plan B.  They had – still metaphorically, in this case – a safety net.  It didn’t make them less creative.  The presence of a safety net allowed them to be more creative.  It expanded their boundaries – both physical and artistic.  It afforded them the opportunity to push the limits of the possible without fear of disaster.  Their only fear was failure – a fear that they embrace night after night, performance after performance.
When you’re trying to stretch your creative wings, don’t be hampered by your safety net.  Your network of support isn’t a sign of weakness – it’s a sign of strength.  It’s ok to proceed with caution, as long as caution doesn’t rule the day.  Use your safety net not as an excuse to play it safe, but as a creative catapult – the indespensible tool that lets you amp-up the courage to be original, the wherewithal to explore uncharted territory.  Before proceeding with any creative assignment, build that safety net as best you can:  assess the landscape, address weaknesses and react in real-time.  You’ll find yourself in a much better, safer – and happier place.
In my next post, I’ll address the body stockings those poor bastards have to wear…