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The Gift of A Smile

How did you learn how to do that?
I first watched a balloon twister at the "Bite of Seattle Festival" in 2002.  He showed me the type of balloons to buy (I use Qualatex balloons) and I later purchased a small bag and a booklet on a few basic figures.   Since then, I've learned primarily through widely available books, a lot of experimentation, and by meeting other balloon twisters.

How long have you been twisting balloons?
I've been twisting for about 4 years now.  I quickly got bored of the simple figures I learned in that first booklet, and when I was asked to volunteer at a halloween event for children on my college campus, I decided to go all out, and got into some more advanced stuff. 

From there, many teachers came and asked me to come to their local event, and I ended up volunteering with balloon animals all throughout my Senior year in college. 

After college, I stopped twisting for a while, but continued to keep balloons around, as my Microsoft colleagues would sometimes bring their kids in for a balloon.  I started earning money for United Way every Christmas by busking in downtown Seattle while my friend Brandon played Christmas carols on his trumpet.  I was asked through friends to volunteer at a few events, including some by the Diabetes Association, and eventually started doing birthday parties after receiving some requests.

The skill has been amazingly useful while traveling, and I have gotten in the habit of always keeping a few balloons on hand.  I've twisted everywhere from markets in Jamaica, to villages in India to the slums in Brazil, where I just spent 4 months volunteering at a daycare. 

Since then, I've enjoyed twisting at local festivals, events and parties… everything from daycare-birthday parties to formal black-tie affairs.