Exposing Myself While Fully Clothed

Tags: amateur comedians, coaching, Saskatoon, stand-up comedy, The Stand-Up Diaries, trevor dean, Trevor Dean comedian

Most of you know the journey I have taken in my comedy career thus far.  As I continue to write, I am aware of the responsibility I have, that I feel I have, to be as honest and accurate as possible in my experiences and emotions.  As I have gone along, the other thing I have started to realize is to not drop too many names in my writing about people who have differing views than I do regarding my comedic journey thus far.

Now, after over 2.5 years of writing The Stand-Up Diaries I have been ripped a new one the odd time by those who say I write way too much, that what I write is inaccurate, or that I use too many names of others that do not want to be mentioned.  At the same time when future opportunities present themselves I am left to wonder whether or not to write about them.  On the one hand, if I do not write about these opportunities, it really does defeat the purpose of publishing this blog in the first place because I mostly did this as a way to show my friends the side of comedy that most don’t get to see.  As the months have gone on I’ve obviously created a bit of a following that has expanded to a member of the media following this blog, other comics, girlfriend, friends and comedy fans in general.

When it comes to me, when I talk myself up I usually deliver the goods.  I don’t mean this in an egotistical way, it’s just to say that I try to think big, dream big, and do big.  So when I have big plans, even if they are down the road I usually follow through and make them happen.

This announcement though is huge, which some of you already know of.

Around this time next year I am planning to take a vacation to Los Angeles for three reasons.

1. To get away from the stresses of work.
2. Take in a Dodger game at Dodger Stadium
3. To meet my comedy coach in person.

The last point here is the one that this announcement is built around.  When I made mention of the fact I wanted to take a trip to meet with and personally thank my comedy coach, I was hoping to ask if there were any open mic opportunities while I was down there.  The answer I received though shocked me.

Not only are there opportunities to do shows in L.A., I was invited to do sets at two of the hottest clubs in southern California.  They are The Comedy Store in Hollywood, and Flappers in Burbank.

I will let that sink in a moment.  After all, this is me we are talking about here.

I can honestly admit that when I first took to the comedy stage that I had absolutely no goals for thinking this big.  But, when comedy got tough, then life got as tough as the comedy I found myself in a position where I was faced with a choice to make.  I could walk away and give up, or exhaust all of my options to find that one person to help me find the “why” in comedy.  It was that why that was missing from my sets.  When I figured out the why then it became easy to understand the how of being funny.

It has taken a lot of work that nobody really sees.  A lot of nights writing and spending hours and money on a comedy coach to be taught the proper comedy structures to be successful in comedy.  Remember this, when I was preparing for my first comedy set after pairing up with my coach, I spent hundreds of dollars on coaching, even though I was not doing comedy as a source of income.  Why would I spend that kind of money and time over a two month period to try and prove to other comedians and my friends/supporters that I had the ability to be funny?  Just because I had to learn the comedy structures and how to write doesn’t mean I shouldn’t have the same opportunities for success that other comics get.

That’s like saying Wayne Gretzky deserved to be in the NHL more than Theo Fleury because #99 had hockey come to him very easily while #14 had to bust his ass to get whatever success he had at the professional level.  Everybody should have the opportunity to have the same tools made available to them to succeed, although this is hardly the case in the world today.  So the key now becomes, what do we do with those tools when the opportunity to acquire them arises?

It’s from that key decision that your destiny is formed, where you find a purpose or a calling to pursue a particular path.

Plus, being out of the Saskatoon comedy scene for about 1.5 years (although that may change soon, stay tuned) has meant that the only times I have been able to perform are in Regina.  When I have sets in Regina every 4 to 6 weeks, it makes me not take it for granted, to really try and forge stronger relationships with those comics in Regina and more importantly my writing has become sharper, with clear and poignant observations easily discerned by a comedy audience thus getting laughs when they are executed properly.

I now have a new responsibility upon my shoulders.  That being one of getting better, writing smarter and representing Saskatoon, the province and the country the best way I know how.  Every time I take the stage now will be with an added sense of purpose.  I don’t want to go down to L.A. just to get a few laughs.  I want to prepare and get better, so much so that I make something happen.  I make connections down there, or meet comedians that I grew up watching on t.v.

I am not going down there to just be another comic on the set list.  I am going down there with the intention of getting the biggest and best laughs that night.  I have an upcoming years worth of material to be written and shows to take part in.  The belief that my coach has shown in me has infused me with a confidence that I have not had before.  It now has me thinking outside of the box, that possibly comedy could be a way to supplement my income, maybe even be my sole source of income down the road, who knows?

This is a new and a very unexpected journey that I have started upon.  You have my word that not only will I look to stand out and be the best comic in the room that night, but I also know that I will make you proud.  Will it be scary?  Absolutely!  Intimidating?  Nervous?  Unsure?  Yeah, all of the above!  But I will use that every day as a motivator to get me to that moment when I get on stage.

Guess what?  I think comedy just became fun again for me  🙂

With Him, ALL things are possible!  Be blessed everyone!  Feel free to leave your comments below.