More (part I)

In the last blog entry I mentioned starting out at open mics and being very competitive. Rarely did I converse with other comics because I saw them as the competition I was up against. It has only been in this last year that I have learned how ridiculous that mindframe is. As soon as I got the competitive aspect out of my head, the more fun I started having. I am now friends with a lot of the area comics. They are awesome people and some of the very best friends I have had throughout my life. They are definitely the people that I can relate to the most because we are struggling through the same stuff. Its very interesting because a lot of us are so very different but with this similar pursuit. If you are a new comic in the area feel free to talk to all the comics you perform with at open mics, get to know them. If you are a veteran open micer, introduce yourself to newer comics at open mics, odds are they don't know anyone there. Reality: yes, a lot of these interactions will be awkward because some people will be very annoying, extremely unfunny, and probably a pain in the ass trying to work their material out on you. I am sure I have been annoying as hell to plenty of comics in the past and even now. Thats the social setting for almost any aspect of life though. There will be annoying people. The plus side to these interactions though is a stronger community. We as comics need to get more shows, there is no question and there is no waiting for other comics to hurry up and do this so we can get on them and benefit from their hard work. Granted we can't help each other to get all of us on each others shows. Thats the reality. Some people won't be qualified for some shows, but thats something to shoot for. Trying to get on their show. You certainly won't get on it if you don't know them and they don't know you. There need to be more shows and that is the bottomline. More open mics, more showcases. If they are monthly, bi-weekly, weekly, daily, whatever, we need more. The stronger the community, the more supportive it becomes and the easier it will be to carry the weight of putting shows together. If you are in a competitive mindframe, let it go, get out of it and start helping the community become stronger. The only benefit is a personal one. You will get more time on stage and become a better comic and you'll also have better relationships with the people you will see on a regular basis.