I am quitting clowning. I went to a company picnic and there was another clown they hired who was better then me. She has a manopoly on the biz.

Any suggestions on what I should do would be helpful.

I'm sorry to hear it was so discouraging. The only thing I can say is that if you live in a fairly metropolitan area, she can't be everywhere at once. Maybe you can just take a break and focus on getting your skills to a better level and then start again.
Take care. Don't be so hard on yourself.
Jubilee the Clown

Gee. Come to think of it I know someone who sings better than me, cooks better, keeps house better, clowns better, does magic better, looks better, is paid better, etc. I guess I oughta just give up and die.

Or... I can accept it and go on doing my best. Let's face it; Clay Aiken didn't win the Idol contest but he's makin' records!

Okay, so she's better. Have you been at it as long as she has? Have you done as many gigs as her? Don't be so hard on yourself; First, intsead of quitting watch her; see what makes her "Better". Second, go home and practice. Then practice some more. By trade I am a Luthier (I build stringed musical instruments), I got better because I determined to quit quitting. You can do it. There is room in any community for more than one clown. There are things you can learn from her. if you have a video camera, set it on a tripod, videotape what you are doing. You will see your mannerisims, hear your own patter, see how you look to the crowd.
I am going through this too. I hung up my costume and rubber chicken for about twenty years. So long infact I had to create a completely new costume because I don't have the body I had at 16. I did my kids funfair just to see if I still could. I can. Some things not as well as 20 years ago, but some things are better! Bottm line, don't hang it up, your best clowningh may yet be ahead of you. But, if you hang it up now, how will you find out?

Keep bumping a nose!

Scruffy :-)

How was she better? Better costume? Better balloons?
How can one clown have the monopoly on all the events in your area?

Don't quit. If there is an area in your skills that you feel needs improvement, practice, practice, practice. You will get better! Send your clown information and references to your company and let them know you would like to work their next event. Put your face out there!

There are 43 clowns in my metropolitan area...and we all know each other...and we all meet once a month at Chi-Chi's to share ideas, balloons, facepainting techniques, special speakers... We figure there are over 300,000 people in this area..so there is plenty of room for more clowns. And we all value our unique differences.

Competition is what keeps your game sharp!

Peewee

Being thin skinned won't help you. You need to learn how to be better. I actually like newbies who learn, and challenge me to get better, myself. I am like that better clown. I am everywhere and I make newbies sweat a bit. You need to get bitten on the butt a bit to make you get better. I am not rude, I am helpful, to a point. I can't take every job, and newbies around my city get newbie type job and grow. If you really like this stuff, learn it better. If I had your attitude when I first began, I'da never gotten where I am. Look, honey, I had a whole bunch of "better than me" folks, and I survived by learning and growing. You should do the same. Rainbowdaclown