The Tao of Comedy
The Taoist philosophy is probably the only thing on this planet that I subscribe to. While I was always a big fan of the Tao Te Ching, the teachings are quite hard to understand even with interpretations. That is until you apply them to world of stand up comedy.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
-Open mics, bombing, frustration, recalibrating, going back. Two nights a week, then 5 nights a week, then every night sometimes twice. 5 min, 10 minutes, 20 minutes in chunks. Small victories: they finally hired you. Whether you look forward or back it all feels like a dream. But it’s leading to somewhere….maybe.
The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.
If you think you understand the comedy game, then you ain’t in it. The second you think you have it figured out, the comedy god’s will pimp slap that trophy right out of your hands. Real professional stand up comedy is an ever unfolding process that feels like hanging on to the strings of a massive balloon that has taken you into the sky. The balloon inflates and deflates with no rhyme or reason, causing you to violently drop and then suddenly rise over and over again leaving you wondering, “How far will this take me?”
He who conquers others is strong, but he that conquers himself is mighty.
You against you. Every night. Every time. Did I prepare enough? Did I party too hard before the show? When you have a bad feeling about the show or you don’t feel funny or your mental health is in full crises mode and you would feel better not talking to anyone at the moment but then your name is called to the stage and suddenly you have bigger fish to fry. Come on brain, I need you tonight.
The Wu Wei (effortless action)
Every time I go on stage with a plan, I fail. Bruce Lee spoke about being like water, so that you can be loose and flow and take the shape of the container that you are poured into. Every crowd, every venue, every city is different and each one a mix and match of every scenario, every walk off life, and almost anything can and will happen. You just got to take it as it comes, do your best in the scenario, remember why you are there in the first place, and have a good time. Clear the mechanism. You are not in the river, you are the river.
Art mimics life. That’s why we love it. Personally it’s not the art that I make but the process of creating it that is the real nuts and bolts of what it means to have meaning. Finding the meaning. Finding the joy. Hell, make it up if it feels right. I’ll quote my favorite supervillain, Lex Luther, when he said, “Some people can read War and Peace and come away thinking it’s a simple adventure story. Others can read the ingredients on a chewing gum wrapper and unlock the secrets of the universe.”