People often think my job is making balloon animals. They see the finished creation, the smile on a child's face, and the balloon going home. What they don't see is everything that happens behind the scenes.
The funny thing is, after more than 30 years, I've realised that twisting the balloon is only a small part of what I actually do.
“The balloon is the tool. The person is the reason.”
Reading the Person in Front of You
A lot of what I do is about knowing how to act. Knowing when to talk, when to joke, and when to simply make the balloon.
Every child is different. Some want a full conversation. Some are nervous and need encouragement. Some just want their balloon and to escape.
The skill is noticing which one you're dealing with. The balloon might be the same, but the person never is.
One of the hardest things to learn is that not everyone wants entertaining. Sometimes the best thing you can do is simply make the balloon, smile, and let someone enjoy the moment.
A common situation is when a shy child is brought over to me. That isn't the moment to be loud or in their face. Instead, it's about giving them a calm moment to come out of their shell. I'll ask about their day, comment on something they're interested in, and slowly begin building a connection.
Good entertainers don't always bring more energy. They adjust their energy to the person standing in front of them.
A few years ago, a young boy came up and asked me for a unicorn. His dad hesitated and explained that he thought a unicorn might be "too girlie".
Now I had a decision to make. I didn't want to disappoint the boy, but I also didn't want to create an awkward situation with his dad.
So, I smiled and said,
"A unicorn? You mean a horse with a sword on its head? One of the world's most dangerous animals and the national animal of Scotland!"
Dad laughed.
The boy got his unicorn.
Or perhaps I should say... his battle horse.
Everyone walked away smiling.
Sometimes the job isn't making the balloon.
Sometimes the job is making everyone feel comfortable.
A Queue Is Not Really a Queue
One type of event I often find myself working at is what balloon twisters call linework – making balloons for a queue of people.
But here's the thing...
A balloon queue is not actually a queue.
It's a moving, interactive audience.
As I work my way along the line, I'm constantly dealing with different situations. Small children running to the front. Someone changing their mind halfway through. A child who's waited 30 minutes and still hasn't decided what they want. Adults asking for balloons for children who aren't even at the event.
None of those things are problems on their own, but they all need managing.
In fact, I think manage is the key word.
You're managing expectations.
You're managing time.
You're managing excitement.
Sometimes you're even managing emotions.
At the same time, you're keeping an eye on the queue, making sure people feel seen, making sure everyone is treated fairly, ...and somehow making it all look effortless.
Again, most people watching simply see someone making balloons.
What they don't see is everything else that's happening at exactly the same time.
The Entertainment Is Not Always the Performance
I really do believe that, with enough practice and time, many people can become balloon makers. People can learn a selection of balloon designs and go out and start creating them.
But fewer people can:
Make a stranger laugh.
Put a nervous child at ease.
Engage with adults.
Create memories.
That is where the entertainment comes in.
I often hear people say they worry about the entertainment side of balloon twisting. The good news is that you don't need to suddenly become a different person or put on a big performance.
The best entertainment often comes from treating the situation like a normal conversation.
Ask about their day. Ask what they've been doing. Notice the Batman shirt. Notice the football shirt. Ask the child wearing pink what their favourite colour is.
Create small moments of fun within the conversation.
If a child tells you they've been on the rides, you can ask:
"Did you go skydiving yet?"
Of course they didn't. They went on the bouncy castle.
Silly balloon man.
But in that tiny moment, something has happened. You haven't just made a balloon. You've created a connection.
When Things Go Wrong
There are things that "pop" up regularly in the balloon twisting business. Little problems that, if you're not prepared, could easily make someone panic.
The obvious one is balloon pops.
And the truth is... they happen all the time.
Really, they do.
But the skill is not about stopping them from happening. The skill is about how you handle them when they do.
Don't panic. Don't react dramatically. Just carry on.
If it's not a problem for you, then it isn't a problem for anyone else.
Imagine someone dropping a vase and immediately shouting:
"Nooooooooo! It's a DISASTER! Call the fire brigade! HELP! HELP!"
Suddenly everyone thinks there is a crisis.
Now imagine the vase drops and someone simply says:
"Ah, never mind. Now, what was that you were saying about the ice cream van?"
The situation changes completely.
The same thing happens with balloons.
If I act like it was supposed to happen, everyone else believes it too.
Practice Creates Confidence
Lots of people say I am a fast twister.
I don't really think I am.
I am not fast. What I am is confident.
And that confidence comes from one of the most important things in the balloon world:
Practice.
There is no shortcut to becoming a good balloon twister. The answer is always the same.
Practice.
Practice doesn't just make you faster. It gives you the confidence to experiment, adapt and create something new. It gives you the experience to know that most problems are not really problems at all.
Seeing Possibilities
One question I am asked a LOT is how many different things I can make.
My usual answer is:
"All of them."
Of course, that sounds like a joke, but the reality is a little more complicated.
You don't need to know 500 completely separate sculptures. What you need is to understand the building blocks that allow you to create 500 different things.
It's a bit like origami.
One set of folds can become a box or a bird. A different starting point can become a fish or a fox.
The important thing isn't memorising every possible finished creation. It's understanding the possibilities within the materials.
But what happens when someone asks you to create something you've never made before?
Designing isn't magic.
It comes from years of:
- practice,
- trying things,
- failing,
- learning,
- and training your brain to see possibilities.
When I create a new dragon, people watching often assume I already know exactly how to make that dragon.
What they don't see are the years of looking at shapes, understanding how balloons behave, knowing what can be changed, accepting failed attempts, and slowly teaching my brain to think differently.
The finished balloon might appear in a few minutes.
The thinking behind it has taken years.
The Physical Side People Don't See
I have worked 9-5 jobs in retail and the building trade, so I understand what hard work feels like.
Balloon twisting is simply a different type of exhaustion.
You are standing, twisting, talking, smiling and making decisions constantly. Your hands are working, your brain is working, and you are constantly interacting with people.
After four hours, it can feel like a full working day.
Final Thoughts
So, what does the audience see?
A balloon and a happy customer.
What do I see?
A conversation.
A challenge.
A chance to make someone smile.
A memory being created.
And sometimes, years later, that is the thing people remember.
The balloons might be what I make, but people have always been my real business.
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