Being able to laugh at yourself is pretty important, especially in comedy. You can’t take these things too seriously. One night, a crowd will be on your side and laughing, and the next, you’re all alone on stage fighting to get through those 5 minutes. I was talking with a friend and he asked me how I dealt with getting on stage and no one laughing. And to me, it’s all about attitude. Before I take the stage, I have to remind myself that it’s okay if no one laughs. It’s okay

After I did a few open mics and got some laughs, I started feeling pretty confident about myself and my stand-up. But then I went and saw Lewis Black perform in Atlanta… Lewis Black is an amazing comic and one of the reasons I started doing stand-up. The guy is hilarious, clever and capable of captivating an audience with his rants. Check out some of his work. Here’s the thing; Lewis Black has done numerous half hour and hour long specials. The guy writes new material and per

Most of the time when I go to a comedy venue, it’s to perform and try to get better. But other times, I just like to go and watch other comedians work on their craft. It’s a fun and educational experience. I think one of the most important things you can do is always be open and always be learning, especially from people who have been doing it longer than you. So far, I’ve only done six performances. Six. That’s nothing. Some of the comedians that I go see have been doing thi

This is a subject that I’m really just starting to learn. The truth is that every time I try out new material, I feel like I’m taking the stage for the first time again. The jokes have never been tested and I have no idea how the crowd will react. Sometimes, they go over well and other times they fall flat on their face. In which case, they are either marked off the list or sent back to the drawing board in order to be polished or rewritten. But that’s the cool thing about op

The biggest obstacle for me doing stand-up was stage fright. I tend to get very nervous before any big event. Also, I’m not a huge fan of the spotlight and I do my best not to be the center of attention. However, for some reason, stand-up has always appealed to me. Sure, I’m an introverted guy with painful shyness, but there’s just something about being on stage that helps me come out of my shell. So how do we get over stage fright? Simple. Just Go For It. There is no magical

If you’re thinking about doing comedy or even if you have been doing comedy for a while, a good rule to follow is “don’t be mean.” Look, stand-up isn’t easy. It’s difficult. But even the ability to get up on a stage and trying to make strangers laugh is brave. It takes guts.  I was lucky because I had a lot of supportive people around. They will tell me good job, even if I felt I did terrible. They never made me feel bad for chasing a passion of mine. And that’s something I

I believe it was Mark Twain that said, “Humor is tragedy plus time.” At least that’s what the Google result told me. Regardless, it’s an accurate statement. I feel like there are times in our lives where things aren’t going great and we fail to see the good or the humor. Sometimes, it does take time for us to find the silver lining or to be able to have a positive outlook. That’s what I enjoy about comedy. If I do my job correctly and prepare, I can help people forget about t

Doing stand up comedy has always been a dream of mine, and until recently, that dream has always stayed on the back burner. Things like doubt, fear and rejection always kept me from taking the stage. However, after I graduated college, I started to realize that I was wasting time and not pursuing anything that really made me happy. So I figured now was the time to go after that comedy dream. The first thing I learned about open mics and comedy, is that you need to check out a