That said, part of the reason I set out to write 100 blogs was because I feel like it keeps me sharp as a writer. But a bigger reason is to force myself to be more accountable with my time. As I wade into the world of "self-employment", I know I have to do things to keep myself focused. It's great not having a boss looking over your shoulder, but it's harder to stay on point instead of just playing video games and sneaking in naps. (Well, at least it is for me anyway.) And I have a girlfriend that has all the faith in me in the world, and supports me more than I could ask for. I feel like I owe it to her to make this comedy thing work.
So I'll be damned if I'm not going to force myself to sit down and churn out a blog. Even if it is just a blog about how I don't feel like blogging. I spent most of the morning writing and organizing my jokes as well, which I usually don't look at until the afternoon, and that might be part of my problem. My buddy Brent and I head out to Grande Prairie tomorrow (if you're in Grande Prairie, PLEASE come say hi! Great Northern Casino at 8!), and we're doing our second set of co-headlines together. So we'll each be doing 45 minutes, which is the longest I've been on stage so far. It makes me a little nervous, but so did the jump to 10 minutes, and 20, and 30. I've done 45 a couple times before, so I know I'm capable, but it's still a challenge at this point.
But the challenge is part of why it's fun. Taking yourself out of your comfort zone and pushing yourself is how you grow. When you start doing longer sets as a comedian, you have more time to slow down and mess with the crowd. Sprinkle a few newer bits in and see how they fit into your established set. It's a double edged sword, because when you're bombing, a long set can feel like days. But when you're doing well and having fun, time flies on stage. When you're an MC or an opener on a show, your longest sets are usually 30 minutes. And I've had my share of sets where I've been having a blast, and glanced down at my watch to disappointingly find out I only have a couple minutes left. Hopefully tomorrow night is one of those good nights, and I can just enjoy it and have fun.
(I just that last paragraph back, and I realized that I haven't had a really bad night on stage in a long time. I've had lots of bombs, especially at open mics working on new stuff, but I've reached a comfort level on stage where I don't really care. I still have fun. I think maybe that's love....)
Anyways, that's my quota for the day. I'll probably throw one of these blogs up tomorrow after we get to the hotel in GP.
Thanks for reading.
Adam
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