Mind vs. Grind

Thursday August 20th, 2009 - Lake Villa, IL

I don’t think people realize just how much of a grind being a full time comedian can be. No, I know they don’t realize. Nor do they care. To the average person comedy seems like a dream job, and in many ways it truly is, but that doesn’t mean hard work isn’t required.

There’s always something that needs to be done and when that gets done something else is in shambles and needs immediate attention. When the act is in a groove that’s when the business can slow down and when there’s a lot of work many times the act gets neglected.

Working everything together in the correct dosage is about as difficult as it can get but then try to add on a normal life and the odds of total success in all areas are astronomical. Sometimes the big picture can really get overwhelming so today I tried to break it down.

What do I really need to do every single day without fail? That’s a tough question. I’ve been a comedian long enough that I really don’t need to work on my act every day unless I want it to grow and expand and constantly improve. I absolutely do want that personally but it really isn’t necessary. I’m funny enough and I can get booked with the act I have.

As an artist and creative person those words are blasphemous but as a business person it makes perfect sense. I have 25 years of experience on stage as a comedian and not a lot of on stage situations could throw me at this point. I can go in and deliver the goods nightly.

What I really need is to get into better circles of people who book better gigs. It doesn’t do me much good to keep improving my act if I don’t work in better places. I want to get back on TV many times because I know I have enough material to do it and do it right.

I want to work Las Vegas and in theatres and in the top comedy clubs as a special event on a Friday and Saturday. I know I have the act to pull it off so I really don’t have to work on that at all unfortunately. WANTING to is optional. Needing to is not required. I’m at a place few people ever get performance wise but it doesn’t matter if nobody’s heard of me.

This is totally not what I want to hear but it’s the absolute truth. It’s all I could think of as I folded my piping hot clothes fresh out of the dryer at the Laundromat this afternoon. I am way above where I need to be as an act and way below where I need to be in business. The problem is I love to work on my act and the business is a chore. That needs to evolve.

I also need to get back in the groove with comedy classes. Cyndi Nelson is the manager of Zanies in the Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, IL and she reminded me that classes are scheduled to start soon and she asked me for information on them. Time is flying as it always does and I hadn’t gotten her that information yet so I spent time and did it right.

I have an opportunity to make these classes really great and that will take a major effort. I need a team around me to help and that’s another thing I worked on today. I’ve got a lot of stuff in the oven and I have to be careful how I handle it or all of it will burn to a crisp.