07.29.09
Everyone’s a Comedian
That’s what I say to people who really try really really hard to get laughs. They think that’s what it’s all about. I tell them to stop it (I don’t need the competition), and do something else (that will bring better results.)
Laughs are about YOU and how the audience perceives you–as a person, a comic, a creative artist, a human being. When you are focused on laughs rather than on communicating your ideas, you get hooked on the results. Results that may or may not happen.
A better tack is to focus on THEM. No, not Van Morrison’s former band, but your audience. Or, anyone who is orbiting around you at any point during the day. The goal is not to convince them to like you; that takes a lot of energy.
Your goal is to make them like themselves. Make them feel great about themselves when they are around YOU. You can be the catalyst to helping them feel great, but you can’t do it if you are focused on yourself and your laughs (or lack of them).
