{"id":8245,"date":"2026-01-04T12:07:47","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T17:07:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thecomedybook.com\/?p=8245"},"modified":"2026-01-04T12:07:47","modified_gmt":"2026-01-04T17:07:47","slug":"comedy-blues-and-creative-highs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thecomedybook.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/04\/comedy-blues-and-creative-highs\/","title":{"rendered":"Comedy Blues and Creative Highs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hey Dave \u2013 I have a confession to make and was wondering if this is normal or not and if so, how to deal with it? Is there such a thing as having the blues in comedy? I guess you could call it the Comedy Blues. I mean, I\u2019ve been told \u201cno\u201d before and had terrible sets in the past. But I strongly feel it has made me the keen comedian I am today. But still, if I may\u2026 help! \u2013 A.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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An instrument for creativity<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

Hey A. – Congratulations. You\u2019re a creative artist.<\/p>\n

And what you\u2019re feeling? It comes with the territory.<\/p>\n

A career in the arts\u2014comedy, speaking, acting, music, writing\u2014often means riding an emotional roller coaster. Big highs. Big lows. That\u2019s one reason so many people wish<\/em> they could do it, but don\u2019t. Standing on stage, getting laughs, meeting fans, and getting paid is a great gig. From the audience, it looks glamorous. What they don\u2019t see is the rejection, the waiting, the self-doubt, and the work.<\/p>\n

The people who truly pursue it usually don\u2019t feel like they have a choice. They have<\/em> to do it.<\/p>\n

This may sound more motivational than instructional today but stay with me.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s talk music for a second. Some great songs are about incredible highs. Others are about lows\u2014the blues. Blues songs exist because nothing worth having comes easy. They\u2019re about loss, frustration, and struggle.<\/p>\n

Now translate that to comedy.<\/p>\n

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Creative words from a creative artist<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

If you\u2019re serious about being a comedian (or humorous speaker), you want things to happen now<\/em>. But progress is slow. Opportunities are unpredictable. Yes, there are huge highs\u2014your first paid gig, passing an audition, winning a contest. But there are also long stretches where nothing clicks, nothing moves, and doors stay closed.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the truth: every working comic will tell you that you\u2019ll hear \u201cno\u201d far more than \u201cyes,\u201d especially early on.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not a flaw in the system. That is<\/em> the system.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you want to stay in this business long enough to build a career, you need to develop thick skin. There\u2019s no shortcut around it.<\/p>\n

Think of it like sports. The best relief pitchers in baseball blow saves. What separates them from the ones who spiral or disappear is their ability to shake it off and throw the next pitch with confidence. That mindset has to be learned\u2014or developed quickly\u2014if you want to survive in a competitive field.<\/p>\n

Comedy is exactly that: a creative art inside a competitive business.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You put your work\u2014and yourself\u2014out there to be judged by bookers, producers, and audiences. Some will love it. Some won\u2019t. The goal isn\u2019t avoiding highs and lows. The goal is not letting either one define you.<\/p>\n

I remember working in New York and hearing brand-new comics say they planned to have a sitcom within a year. I heard it more than once. Meanwhile, the comics hanging around the NY Improv\u2014Ray Romano, Larry David, Dave Attell (to mention only three)\u2014had been grinding for years. They didn\u2019t get everything they auditioned for. They just didn\u2019t quit when someone said \u201cno.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unrealistic expectations create massive lows.<\/p>\n

Understanding the process creates resilience.<\/p>\n