Jenn's Thoughts: March 20th Dare to Dream Big!

Happy Sunday.  Here's to hoping all have slept off their St. Patrick Day fun, and have eliminated all green food colouring from your bodies.


Lots of fun this week on our blog, but I won't give you more than that right now, you will just have to come back and see for yourself!


Today I must discuss fame, dreams, delusions, and self-awareness.  When i say 'must' I am only slightly hyperbolizing; I have been thinking of this subject all week, like an obsession that won't leave my brain until the words leave my head one by one onto this page.  Let's start with a story of a woman named jenn.
When I was younger, I had no dreams really.  I think my highest dream was to become one of the sexy valet's on WWF (now called WWE, but I still remember the days when Mr. T and Cindy Lauper were on wrestling on Saturday morning.  True story look it up).  Who knows why I didn't have dreams, I am sure my therapist has some ideas, but let's not go into childhood family dynamics.


Many comics discuss always knowing they were meant to perform.  I cannot say this, but I always knew I wanted to be in control.  I always knew I wanted attention, and I always knew that something would just work out.  I really love performing comedy, but also enjoy the world of comedy, producing shows, and promoting people.  To be blunt:  I would rather own the world than perform for it.  I am ambitious to say the least, but also just go with where life is taking me, and seizing every opportunity.

That was me, now let's talk about comics, and their desire for greatness.  I have discussed at length in this column self-promotion and why comics and artists don't do enough of it, but will remind everyone that to get somewhere in this world, we have to be part of "making it happen".  Part of moving ourselves forward in promoting oneself and moving forward in your comedy career is to learn to take one step forward, two steps back, and then three steps forward and two steps back.  As long as you learn from each experience, and improve, you are growing.  Some comics state they cannot promote self because they feel they are not good enough  yet.  While refreshingly humble, a bad comic may promote themselves ahead of you.  It sucks, but as I have said before  "the work can speak for itself, but if no one sees it, then it is a small discussion".  If you want to make it, then find a way to make promotion as important as your writing, when you are ready.  But don't wait too long, because you may cross the line from ambitious comic on the rise to cynical comic not moving anywhere without even knowing it.


I must address at this point those self-promoting before they are ready.  Last Wednesday I was at a comedy club, and a newcomer, only his third time on stage, came up to me and asked if I would profile him for WHO TO WATCH.  A bit stunned, I said "um, we only really do established ones, or someone we are a big fan of or see massive potential".  He looked like I broke his heart.  I also said "hey, maybe don't start your act with 'any women on their rag tonight?'; more so in my head than to him directly, but I digress.  This was clearly a case of too soon to promote.  


The three bears of comedy:  This one promotes too much, this one not enough, and this one, just right!  I sure have opinions on promotion, but that is actually not the point of this blog.  For all people in comedy there are a lot of dreams.  There are a lot of opinions on how to achieve the dream.  I am going to let you, the readers in on a little secret:  comics don't make that much money.  Eventually the big names do, but there are many comics and only so many gigs.  Comics do not get paid an annual salary, and some even have day jobs to help support their quest for fame.  How long can comics do this before they give up their dream?  The reality is that not every one of them will make it.  But stop; what does making it mean?  For some it means doing what they love for the rest of their lives.  To others it may mean becoming the next Pauley Shore or Dane Cook. I kid, I kid.  The amazing novelist and philosopher Richard Bach says "A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit." .  


Comics should dream big.  We should all dream big, but also work hard.  Work for our futures, while enjoying our present and learning from or past.  This is the only way our dreams will come true.  If you are thinking of giving up your dream, don't.  You may want to put it on hold for awhile, add more balance to your life, or just change something for a bit.   I am going to over share here:  I get knocked down a lot.   I at times take on too much, let something slide, or whatever else life throws at me, and sometimes I fail.  I always...ALWAYS get back up.  The world may think I am crazy, but my dreams are big.  When my husband and I met we made $7000 between the two of us.  In our thirteen years of marriage we put ourselves through school, went through a succession of holding four jobs down at once, were foster parents, got our first house, now have our kids and our company and a pretty darned good day job.  We have gone through my mental health issues, miscarriages, parents dying, you name it, we have had the pleasure.  If someone had asked me 13 years ago what our life would have looked like, I knew we would have succeeded at our evolving set of dreams, but also knew, even back then the work that would have to go into it.  We did the work, and are happy where we are, and are still moving in the direction we want to go.


One key is to be self-aware, and know when things aren't working.  Once you realize you are moving backwards and not growing, then you can use that awareness to move in the right direction.  Anything else is delusional.  Know who you are, and use that as your motivation and strength.  My life struggle has been with my weight, and I am fully aware of my mistakes, but can deny them as I am shoveling the ice cream in my face.  I must look at the ice cream, remember it is the enemy, and make my decisions from there.  Everyone benefits from self-awareness as long as you are using it to improve who you are.


If you want to be a comic, dare to dream big, and let's see where life takes you!  You will be given many opportunities that you must seize while they are there!  Move forward, fall back, but keep moving, and you will make it.  Over prepare for life and then go with the flow.  And really, if your comedy starts with asking audience members if they are on their rag, take the first step in your dream, and get a new opening joke.


Hoping you are encouraged, and hoping you never quit!
Jenn Hayward
JH5