Working on new material 12/29/16

Working on new material, writing jokes, trying them on stage, listening back to the recordings, it can fucking suck. But it's one of the aspects of comedy I've come to enjoy and respect the most.

At the beginning, it's not so bad. If only because you don't have a choice. You don't know what works, so you just write anything you can think of, and hope it sticks when you go on stage and throw it against the wall. Eventually (hopefully sooner than later!), something does. And now you have the premise for your first "bit". The goal then is to keep telling it, but a little differently each time, and shape it into something to be proud of. A polished bit that you can take up there and be confident that more often than not, it'll get a laugh.

I gained a TREMENDOUS amount of confidence once I came up with a bit that consistently got a positive reaction (my lazy eye stuff). I worked on (and still polish it now), that bit for months; adding a line here, taking something out. Listening back to recordings of it to see what got a laugh, what didn't. Maybe I approach it too seriously, but I time how long I go between laughs, and if it's more than 20 seconds, I work to come up with a way to either shorten what I'm saying, or find a way to make it funnier. One of the things I enjoy least when I watch a comedian is when there is just too much fluff between jokes. A punchline that misses the mark is excusable (especially when working on new stuff), but when it's just rambling for 30, 40, 50+ seconds, I have a tendency to tune out. By the time you get to the punchline, I've forgotten where you were going.

In my eyes, stand up comedy is an art. As a joke writer, we're artists. I love the freedom that comes with creating art. When you write a joke, you can write anything you want. One of the things I like thinking about is that every single killer bit that hasn't been written or told yet is just sitting out there in space, waiting for someone to come along, write it down, and make it their own. When I sit down to work on new material, I don't go into it with the mentality of, "if I don't come up with a new closer today, it was a waste of time". I just start letting the pen move, scribbling anything I can think of about a particular topic. I try not to get frustrated if nothing good comes of it. It's the thrill of the hunt. It's like fishing. You aren't going to catch a fish every single time you cast your line, (or rod, or whatever the term is. I don't know, I don't fish.) But you keep doing it, because you know eventually you'll get one. The thrill of the hunt.

I totally understand how comedians develop some jokes that work, and then just keep telling them. It's just easier to go up there and use the stuff you know is safe. I've been working on forcing myself to get out of that comfort zone. If I have a 5 minute spot, I use 60-90 seconds to tell an abbreviated version of a joke I know works, and then I try to experiment with the rest of my time. Either trying a new approach to an old joke, or a new premise altogether. Once I get bored of something, I struggle to keep any interest in it. Doing the same thing every night is boring. I want to hit a point where no matter how much time I'm expected to do that night, I have enough material that I can plug and play with my set list. Keep it fresh and exciting.

I don't have a lot of shows over the holiday season. Some open mic are shut down until January, and I just want to take a little time to hang out with family and friends, and focus on my writing. I can't wait to hit the stage in the new year with some new stuff. I told someone the other day; "I write for an hour, to come up with 5 minutes to take on stage, to find out 20 seconds of that 5 minutes of material is any good."

Louis CK once told a story about how he had a really strong closing joke. So when he would do an hour, he would coast on stuff that was OK at best for 15 minutes toward the end of his set, because he knew he had a bit that was so strong, he could end with it, and nobody would remember that the previous 15 minutes weren't that good. It wasn't making him a better comedian. So, he moved that really good joke to the FRONT of his set. He would start his hour with it, and it forced him to not only beef up that 15 minutes, but write an even better joke to close with. When he did it, he would move THAT joke to the front of his set. It constantly forced him to write more, and get better. That's the stuff that I find fascinating about the art of writing jokes.

I'm trying to employ that method of writing myself. Jokes I told in March, I look back on now, and think they're terrible. I'll never tell them again. If all goes to plan, I'll hit a point where I feel that way about every joke I have in my arsenal right now, too.

Force yourself to get better, and enjoy the thrill of the hunt.

Adam

From 5 minutes to 30 12/14/16

As I type this, it's 5:50 pm on Wednesday, December 14th, 2016. I'm laying in my hotel room in Grande Prairie, and in 2 hours I'm going to perform my first 30 minute set of comedy.

I hope that a year from now, I can look back on this post and think, "30 minutes? That's nothing!"

January 21st of this year, I did my first set. It was 5 minutes long, and I memorized every word I was going to say. 5 minutes seemed like forever. Then a few months later, I did a 10 minute spot. I wrote every single joke I had down on my arm, just in case. It felt like half an hour. And now, almost 11 months after my first set, I'm actually going to do half an hour.

I like looking back on this past year, and the ride that has been stand up comedy. I've had my ups and downs, (luckily the ups WAY outnumber the downs), but it's been one of the most exciting years of my life. I think about comedy all the time. More than I want to, to be honest. When I wake up, I feel energized and excited. "Maybe I'll think of a killer new joke today". I (usually) can't wait to get on stage that night. Comedy feels like this thing inside of me, and it's taking over my brain. Some days I want to shut it out and get rid of it, but I can't.

I don't know if I believe in destiny. I think that for the most part, life is kind of meaningless. We don't really know why we're here, what we're supposed to do. 200 years from now, I think 99.9999% of people won't even be a footnote in the history of the world. I like that mentality. It's helped me control my temper, stay calm, and just enjoy life. There's no pressure. Just be happy, be a good person, and do whatever you want to do. Destiny means that something is supposed to happen. I don't like the idea that anyone's road through life is already mapped out. I think people decide their own fate, and how they're going to get there. You decide what the meaning of your life is. I don't know if comedy is my destiny, but even when I try to get away from it, it makes me feel better than anything else does.

It makes me happy. Even when it isn't going well, I feel like that's where I'm supposed to be. Being on stage is just comfortable. And when I combine that mentality with looking back on this ride, and how far I've come in 11 months, it makes me feel incredible. I can't wait to see what comes next. The universe lined up perfectly for me to try this, with my job, my lifestyle, where I live. I have the single most supportive girlfriend anyone could ever ask for.

I still don't know why I'm here. Or why anyone is here. But when you find the one thing you want to do with your life, the thing you can't stop thinking about, it changes the way you see the world. I'm a different person than I was 12 months ago.

January 21, 2016, I did 5 minutes of horrendous stand up comedy. I've worked really hard, and received a ton of help from people. December 14, 2016, I get to do 30 minutes of horrendous stand up comedy. I can't wait to see what I'm doing 11 months from now.

Thanks for reading my self-indulgent blog, and listening to my dumb jokes. I say it on here all the time, but you get one shot at life. Spend it doing what you want. And Shaley, I love you. Thanks for being so supportive of me :)

I have to go tell some jokes.

Adam

Struggling to find my focus 12/7/16

I've been trying to figure out how to word this blog for a few days.

I haven't been as focused on my comedy lately, and I don't know why. I've missed some shows, haven't written very much. Spent some nights hibernating and playing video games instead of grinding. And it wasn't even a grind. Going to a different open mic or two every night was fun. I felt like I was chasing a dream, and it made me look at life an entirely different away. I've never felt that focused or motivated.

Then about three weeks ago, it started to go away. I'm not sure why it did. There are aspects of stand up comedy that I don't enjoy. I think that, combined with a few other things, made up the perfect storm. Luckily (and thankfully), that feeling is disappearing. I've done some shows the last couple weeks, talked to some people, re-evaluated what I'm doing, and why I'm doing it. I wrote down some goals, which I'll get to in an upcoming blog, and as cheesy as it sounds, I feel like "I'm back".

I'm about 6 weeks away from my 1 year anniversary as a comedian, and over the next 7 days, I get to open for three very talented comedians that I respect and genuinely like in Shawn Gramiak, Lars Callieou, and Mike Dambra. I'm looking forward to working with, and picking the brain, of all three of them. I get to MC a show at the Comic Strip in West Edmonton Mall. And I'm going to make money to tell jokes. These are all things I thought would be cool to do someday when I started this in January, and now I'm doing them. It's some luck, and some older comedians being courteous enough to throw an opportunity at a new guy, but I like to think part of the reason I'm getting the chance to do this stuff is because I've spent a vast majority of 2016 focusing on comedy, and working really hard. When I step back and look at the adventure I've been on over the past year, and where some hard work and focus has gotten me, it really motivates me to work even harder.

I don't say that stuff to brag or try to make myself seem like a big deal. I'm not. An open mic comedian that walked away from a potential career to make fun of himself for $25 in front of 10 people at the age of 33 isn't anything to brag about. But in my opinion, it's something to be proud of.

I often beat myself up for not starting earlier. Some of the best comedians in the city right now are in their early 20's. I'm jealous of how good they'll be at my age. But at the same time, part of me is grateful I didn't start until I was 32. I don't think I was mature enough to tackle this 10 years ago. I wouldn't have appreciated the opportunities I've had. (I'm not saying the 20 year old comedians in the scene today are like that. Most of them are pretty awesome)

I'm not going to force myself to do stand up if I don't want to anymore. If I ever hit a point where it isn't fun, I'll quit. No hesitation. I thought maybe I had reached that point last month, but I haven't. I don't know what exactly it is I like about stand up comedy. I don't make a lot of money, I don't know if I really care that much about trying to get rich and famous. There's just something about being on stage and making people laugh, it's the sickest feeling. I figure I have 45, 50 years left. I just want to be happy for them. And as much as I resent it sometimes, comedy makes me happy.

Thanks for reading. And do what makes you happy.

Adam

Sunday Rambling 11/20/16

Random Sunday night thoughts;

I've hated Sundays for most of my life. It feels like the countdown to the start of the new school/work week. I always found that after about 3 PM I couldn't enjoy the rest of the day, because I knew I had to go back to the grind in the morning. Since I started changing up how I live my life, I've found that feeling slowly starting to go away. I spent 33 years letting my brain program itself like that, it's going to take a while to reset.

I turned 33 on Thursday. I kind of wanted to go to a couple comedy shows and see if I could land a spot, as I wasn't booked anywhere, but my girlfriend convinced me to stay home. We had some friends over, ate a bunch of food, and just played video games and hung out. It turned out to be a really good time. As you get older, the amount of time you have to spend with people gets smaller. Be selective about who gets your time, but make time for the people that don't suck.

I thought 30 kind of sounded old, but 33 doesn't seem like a big deal. I don't think the numbers will really sink in until 40 now. All things considered, I think I'm pretty happy with what I've accomplished since 1983. I'm not a Ghostbuster like I originally planned, but things could be a lot worse. I have a great girlfriend, a house, good friends, and a supportive family. I could count my real problems on one hand. Life is good :)

Things are going way too well for me in Fantasy Football this year. I'm in 1st in both of my leagues, and right in the hunt of my two pick 'em pools. I expect the boom to drop any day now....

I don't spend much time watching sports anymore. I still catch Sportscentre almost every morning (NOT Sportsnet Central, seriously, how much does Sportsbet suck?), but I stay too busy to have any time to sit down and watch a full game these days. Luckily, Carey Price makes it so you don't have to watch the Habs games anymore. I'm embarrassed to admit  I was pissed when the Habs traded Halak for Eller instead of Price....

I published episode 5 of the Comedy Odyssey today. Listenership has been up and down, I'm still really trying to find my way with podcasting. I really enjoy recording them. Editing them kind of sucks. The feedback, good and bad, from those of you that listen has been very much appreciated. I don't plan on quitting anytime soon. It's really a different experience learning how to do something in front of people instead of in the privacy of a classroom or your house. I think, like stand up, it motivates you to work harder at it, so people can see you're improving. Or at least trying to, anyways.

Signed my first "contract" (?) for stand up tonight. It's just for a one off spot at a show in December, but I still thought it was pretty sweet. Every month it seems one or two cool things happen to me in the comedy world. Not knowing what's next keeps you moving forward when things go wrong. 

I've had a couple rough nights in the last month. Nothing crazy, but I've lost my focus on comedy, and had a couple moments where I caught myself asking, "why am I doing this?" I take it really seriously, and sometimes I think I let myself forget that it's supposed to be fun. I need to remember to just take a step back and look at it as an adventure. Not knowing what's around the corner is what makes it so fun. When I hit a point where it isn't fun anymore, I'll quit.

If you've ever sent me a nice message, come out to one of our comedy shows, listened to my podcast, or read this blog, thanks for supporting me. I don't know if or when this ride will end, but I'm glad you want to take it with me. I hope we end up somewhere nice.

Adam

Don't let anyone tell you what to do 11/9/16

I posted this on Facebook a few months ago. I think it still hits home:

"One of the guys I work with, probably the dude I like the most there, had his first child this week. Wednesday, his wife went into labour. And he was still working. I told him to get the hell out of there and get to the hospital, and he said we were too busy, and he'd go when he could. That's exactly what's wrong with society today.

Everyone has their own priorities. And if someone disagrees with yours, to hell with them. I think you probably spend the first 25 years of your life laying the foundation of that list, and then you tweak it as life goes on. I know for a fact that my buddie's family was a much higher priority to him than his work, but he felt obligated to stay. That's not being honest to yourself. Do what you want, what makes you happy. 

A few years ago, I wasn't doing that well. Shay and I had just bought our house, we had some money. Health. No worries. But I didn't feel right. Like I was just going through the motions, wasting time. I made a very conscious decision to start eliminating things/people that I weren't making me happy, and to start cramming as much positivity into my life as possible every day. I quit a very good paying sales job to go do something that I thought would be more fun (and it was), and I started phasing some people out of my life. I just decided I didn't want to be around them anymore. If anyone ever feels that way about me, I would hope they'd do the same. And it worked. I feel much better about life these days. I'm very happy.

I read something around that time that said "there is endless power in giving zero fucks." It's not the classiest sentiment ever, but it's spot on. I used to want everyone to like me. Now, there's a very small group of friends and family whose opinions matter to me very much, and if you're not in that circle, I don't really give a damn what you think. If I'm not hurting you, just let me do what I want. 

My current job demands a lot of hours from me, I work 55 or so in a 5 day a week, plus some weekends. I don't like it, but as of now, I've accepted the trade off, they get my time, and I'm happy with the money they give me for it. But if that job ever tries to overtake something that I feel is a higher priority (and there are a lot of them), then they'll quickly find out I won't be there anymore. It's a humble brag, but anyone that has worked with me would be quick to say that I'm a pretty hard worker (I think, anyways), and I do my best to help the team and pull my weight. But I've also switched jobs 4 times in about 12 years. Once because I felt they were trying to become to work their way to the top of my priority ladder, once because I just wasn't happy anymore, and once mostly for financial reasons. And even though the job I have now is very secure and well paying, I have no hesitation to quit, and no worry of getting fired, if it ever isn't a fit anymore. Because I just don't enjoy working. I like things that I find fun. And I wasn't out here just to let someone else tell me what to do all my life.

The moral of this ridiculously long post is that your life is a dictatorship. You call the shots. The only people that can get into your board of directors are your family, and your close friends. And that's only if you deem them worthy of a chair at the table. If someone doesn't like how you're running your business, then don't do business with them anymore. You have 24 hours a day to spend on anything you want. Don't let anyone spend even one minute of them for you."

As you probably know, I did end up walking out of that job at the beginning of October. I wasn't happy there, and my girlfriend and I decided the money wasn't worth it anymore. I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but the universe picked me up and led me to something better. I don't make the money I used to make, and I was 10 weeks away from a $4000 bonus, but I don't care. I will never, ever, do something just a paycheque again. If I don't want to do something/be somewhere, I won't do it/be there. Taking control of your life is the single most empowering feeling in the world.

I don't know what the meaning of life is. To be honest, most the time I really don't think there is a point. In the grand scheme of the universe, we're pretty insignificant. And that's fine with me. I'm going to just stand over here and do whatever the fuck I want for the rest of my days. Watch what you want to watch. Listen to the music you like. Eat whatever you want to eat. Do what you want. If you're miserable, but you're letting someone else make you feel that way, well, that's your problem.

-Adam

Looking back on October 10/31/16

It's been almost a month since I quit my job. As has been well documented on here, I really struggled with it at first. I'm starting to adjust to a new lifestyle, though. October was fantastic for comedy, being able to dive in head first and not worry about getting up at 4am every morning made it a lot easier to just relax and enjoy the ride. And it's been a sweet ride :)

Earlier in the month, I got to be a guest on Nick McQuik's podcast, "The Quik and Slow Comedy Show." I listen to it pretty regularly, and McQuik is a good dude, so I was pretty excited to get the chance to record it. I think we spent more time talking superheroes than we did comedy, but it was a lot of fun. Did you guys know Nightwing hit his dead and that's what killed him? Or something like that, anyways. DC sucks.

Speaking of podcasts, I finally got mine on the internets. You can listen to my annoying voice any time now! "The Comedy Odyssey" launched on October 8th, on iTunes and at comedyodyssey.podbean.com . It's been a real learning experience, not only learning how to record, edit, and upload a podcast, but how to interview someone as well. The show is pretty rough around the edges right now, but the feedback from friends and family has been fantastic. So thank you very, very much to everyone that has downloaded/listened to it. I promise to try and keep improving the quality of it, and I have a few guests upcoming that I'm really excited to talk to. 

My girlfriend's folks came out this way for Thanksgiving, and I got a chance to tell jokes in front of them on one of my favourite stages, Chicago Joes here in the north end. We had a great time, they're really good people, and they've been nothing but supportive of me since I first got into comedy. I made sure to tell every single joke I had about their daughter :) 

I got an opportunity to host the weekly "Battle to the Funny Bone" show at The Comic Strip in West Ed. The regular host, Ryan Short, was out of town, and he threw me a bone. The crowd that came out that night was outstanding, the battling comics killed, and Ken Hicks was the special guest helping me out. If you've never had a chance to check Ken out, you don't know what you're missing. Just one of those dudes you can't help but like. So big thanks to Ryan and the Strip for taking the chance on me. I really enjoy hosting, and it's something I hope to get more opportunities to do in the near future. Maybe I'll have to try and start my own room.......?

I spent some time on the road this month as well. I got to open for Lars Callieou in Fairview. We met some fantastic people out there. I'll be heading back up there in December with Mike Dambra, it should be a really good time. The next night, Lars and I got to do a show in Spruce Grove for their Chamber of Commerce Awards Gala. Big thank you to Lars and Norm Shaw for the opportunity, the crowd was incredible, and the room was great.

Norm, me, and Lars in Spruce Grove. I couldn't figure out how to tie my tie.

Then for the last week of October, I headed out to Thunder Bay with Lars and Ryan to kick off the opening weekend of a new club. We stopped over in Winnipeg on the way out, checked out the historic Rumour's Comedy Club, and got to do a spot at Ben Walker's open mic as well. It was a pleasure meeting some great Winnipeg comics, and a really fun show.

We checked out the Jets/Stars game Thursday night, and gave Ryan a crash course in hockey. I'm so glad that team's back. The atmosphere in the MTS Centre is crazy! I just need to check out games in Ottawa and Montreal (save the best for last!), and I'll have seen a game in every city in Canada. I don't have as much time to watch as I used to, but I love hockey. What the hell is up with the Oilers, too???

We picked up a Winnipeg comic, Carole Cunningham, and headed out to Thunder Bay Friday morning to kick off the first weekend of the Cricket's Comedy Club. We went on to put on 4 wicked awesome shows in 2 days. The club set up was rad, the crowds were RED hot, and we had some great chemistry on stage. The staff was great, and I can't thank Chris Mulawyshyn enough for having us. I really hope to get back out to your club again. We couldn't stop talking about how much we had on the shows. If you're in Thunder Bay, check it out!

Lars Callieou took me along to do a guest spot on all those shows. In just 9 months of doing comedy, I've been to BC for the Okanagan Comedy Festival, done shows in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and now Ontario. All because Lars gave me a chance to come along, work with him, and pick his brain. There are 50 other comedians in this city that could have gone instead, but I got the chance. I'm very humbled, and grateful to Lars for giving me an opportunity to start living a dream, and see what life is like as a pro comic. Some people might think this is me kissing ass, but anyone that really knows who I am know that that's not what I'm about. And frankly, I don't care what anyone thinks. I'm just a very appreciative person, who understands that nobody owes anyone anything in life. I'm proud to call Lars a colleague, and more importantly, a friend. I had more fun on that trip than I've had in a long time. Thanks guys.

Finally, on a note outside of comedy, a couple weeks after I left my job at the box factory, I got a call from Jack and Ken Cookson, asking if I would be interested in going back to work for their company, Pro Am Sports. They deal in sports memorabilia, and if you're into the hobby at all, you probably already know them. If not, you're missing out in the worst way. I don't just say that as an employee, and a friend, but as a collector myself. Their stuff is authentic, and top notch. 

It's the best job I've ever had, and they're willing to work around my stand up comedy. It's a dream scenario for me; hang out with friends and talk sports by day, and hang out with friends and tell jokes by night. Please, do me a favour and check us out, or pop by and say hi. Christmas is coming up!!! 

Pro Am Sports!!

So that was my October. I took a massive chance when I left my old job, but I was miserable there, and I knew something had to change. I stayed positive, and now I'm in a spot where there isn't one part of my life I don't enjoy. Waking up excited every morning is a surreal feeling. When someone would ask how my day was going at my old job, my favourite response was "living the dream". It's still my go to answer, but now I actually mean it :)

Thanks for reading.

-Adam

Positive Thinking 10/13/16

*This is a big ramble of a blog, but I'm in a good mood, and feel like rambling. So I'm gonna ramble*

I don't like negative people.

Those people that just spend all their time complaining or getting angry. Everyone has their days, but when it's 24/7, it gets old fast. I was turning into that guy at my old job, I hated it there, was always losing my temper. So I made the decision to walk away last week. Best decision I've made in a long time.

I try to make a conscious effort to be happy and positive. I spend as much time as possible around people and things that make me happy. If there's someone/something I don't like, then I minimize the time I spend around it. More people need to make a conscious effort to surround themselves with positivity. If you focus on something positive, it'll spread into all aspects of your life, including your mind. And once you start thinking positively, positive things start to find you.

I've had my fair share of bombing lately. Working on new material can be tough, you never know how the crowd is going to react, and it can be harder to have that confidence that I think you need to have on stage when you aren't sure if a joke is going to work. I was starting to get into a negative mind set, and that reflected in my work. Head down, less enthusiasm. Thankfully, a couple friends/fellow comics pointed it out to me. I knew I had some negative thoughts about the material in my head, but I didn't realize how quickly it had spread. My body language, my delivery, was all negative. How am I supposed to convince someone that something is funny, if I don't believe it myself? So last night I did a show, worked on the same new material, but went into it with a positive mind set. And the stuff worked. It's all about positive thinking. Law of attraction.

I've been a little down on myself since I quit my job. I know it was the right thing to do; that place was the most toxic part of my life. I've just had a hard time convincing myself that it's ok to do something different. But diving headfirst into comedy has started to shift my mindset. I felt like a loser with no job, chasing a fantasy. So I took a step back, and worked hard to convince myself that I'm not a loser, I'm a dreamer. Why can't I make this my job? I just have to work hard. Nothing is impossible, you just have to be willing to work. So everyday, I tried to convince myself that I'm not wasting my time, I'm just not letting anyone else tell me how to use it. Surround myself with positive energy, and things/people that make me happy. If you do that, the rest will find you. I got a call yesterday from an old job, that I really enjoyed, and we came to an agreement for me to return there on a part time basis. It's perfect, I can help do my part for my family and bring in some money, but do it doing something I enjoy doing. And not only do I enjoy doing the job, but it's a job that gives me free reign to chase this comedy dream full time as well.

Some might say that it's all just a coincidence, but I don't think it is. I decided in my mind that this is what I wanted, and I got it. A month ago, I was exhausted, and spent 50+ hours a week at a job I hated. Now I have a job I love, that gives me time to work on something that I love. There isn't one aspect of my life I don't like right now, and it all boils down to having a good attitude, and thinking positive.

If you're unhappy, think about what makes you unhappy. Is there a way to fix it? Then do it. If there isn't, start taking steps toward removing it from your life. Everyone wants to be happy. The only way to really get there is to surround yourself with things that make you feel good. Set yourself up to think positively every day. Good things, and more importantly, good people, will find you.
I really believe that.