The Possible, The Probable, and The Known
Those of you who read last week's article read an account of a comedian who was frustrated and struggling. What I did not detail was the fact that the very next night, the owner of my home club saw me for the first time. He gave me some of the best compliments, and the best advice, I have ever received. One particular piece of advice still stands out. "You've got all the tools, and you if you decide to apply yourself, you've got a chance to make it. You still probably won't, but at least you got a shot."
The comedy business is a bit of a crapshoot. While I contend it's at least significantly better than, say, music or theater - I have a friend who is a talented singer/songwriter, and I wonder sometimes how he doesn't turn on MTV sometimes and just slit his wrists - there are still a myriad of factors beyond your control that can affect your comedy career. Work hard, pay your dues, write new, original, funny material. But remember that you might not make it - and enjoy the process and the business for what it is.
There is a reason why people like Jerry Seinfeld, Kevin Pollak, Dave Chappelle, Jay Leno, and many, many other headliners continue to do comedy despite the complete lack of any financial incentive (for them, at least) to do it. It is a wonderful, exciting, even addictive thing to be on stage and make a roomful of strangers laugh. And while you may not become a headliner, and may never sell out a theater, or have an HBO special, enjoy the fact now that a dozen people come up to you after a show and say, "Nice job." Enjoy the fact that you may even get asked for an autograph, or get recognized at the grocery store. Don't define success or failure by the level you reach, or the money you make.
