So...New Years, huh? People tend to use this time to reflect on what last year was, and what next year could be. The combination of holiday craziness and my general laziness is causing this to happen a couple of weeks into the year.
Hey this is free. Sorry not sorry....
Seriously though, 2018 was quite a year I must say. Every month, I dug in a little harder on stand-up comedy. Which resulted in the following things:
-I started producing my own comedy shows in January. By the end of the year, I'd delivered 8 shows to 3 different venues, with average crowds of around 60.
-I competed in 4 different contests. 2 in Edmonton and 2 in Calgary.
-I tripled the amount of sets I've done in a year, and more than doubled my total amount.
-I tried roast battles and found I don't suck at them.
-I led an intro to stand-up workshop.
-To start the year, my longest set was a shaky 15 minutes. By year's end, I had done a couple of decent 30 minute sets.
-I closed out two shows, one in Calgary, and dipped my toe in the corporate event waters.
-I was nominated for Comedian of the Year at the Red Deer Entertainment Awards.
Not bad huh?
I'll admit, I was pretty proud of these things. There was even some cockiness creeping in, until I kept the following in mind:
-I didn't advance past the first round in any of those contests.
-I was almost never the best performer on any show I was on.
-I only sold out 2 of the shows I produced.
-I often felt I wasn't focused enough.
-My 30 minutes isn't that tight yet.
-While I don't suck at roasts, I'm not a true killer on them yet.
So....good things happened, progress was made, but realistically, all I've really done is become a solid piece of the tiny Red Deer comedy scene and am managing (usually) to not make a show I'm on worse. That's not nothing, but I've only really advanced from rookie to novice. I made strides, but I'm still just an open-mic amateur in a small city. There's pros and cons to that. I'm under the radar, so I can develop with less pressure, but that also means as I do improve, it's hard to gain traction and attention.
Looking back on the year was easy, but looking ahead has been trickier. I don't expect to see the same amount of growth as I had before. I think that will slow down. I still have a ton to learn as a writer and performer, but I think the lessons will be smaller and less frequent. You're bound to see change the first year you commit harder to any pursuit, but that level of change is rarely sustainable.
I've also found, as I adjusted my priorities last year, how much I had been missing at home. It took a few weeks/months, but I'm more settled just being at home with my wife and kids more. Being present with them has been so great! So I want to move forward with care. Sure, running as hard as possible with no regard for anything else in my life could accelerate my career. COULD. But, nothing is promised to me. All my passion and effort could lead to staying right around where I am, so I'd rather try to keep a little balance in my life and not force things. Sure, I may miss out on certain opportunities. I actually turned down a contest spot last week for a family event. But that's fine. I don't want to gamble with the important people in my life for something that may never come.
"Success" is pretty ethereal in comedy. I know a few comics who have "made it" by most people's measure, but they are still hustling to fill the calendar and usually perform for people who have no clue who they are. It's never going to be easy, and may never be profitable. So I'm trying to relax about goals and milestones. I told my comedy workshop that if you can walk off the stage having had fun, while taking something away that'll make you better, and made the crowd happy, you're a successful comedian. I need to practice the preaching.
That being said, it's not a bad idea to set some targets. After all, a 30 minute set wasn't on the horizon until I made it a goal. There are things I want to strive for. I want to keep improving of course, but I want to increase my visibility. Especially in the clubs. If I want to take any steps toward going pro, "passing" the clubs is a key part of that. I have to get Calgary and Edmonton to notice where I'm at. I also want to make the finals in at least one contest this year. Comedy contests are very subjective, but if you aren't clearly good enough to advance past the first round, then you need to work. Lastly, I really want to open for a headliner on the road. I want to see what that's like, and to see how I handle it. If I struggle or it causes too much stress for my homelife, I want to know, so I can adjust to that.
Overall, I just want to stay active, stay joyful, and be "around" for when opportunity knocks.
Bring it on, 2019!
B
