Comedians: Get Ahead By Giving More [FREE POST]
How serving others can be both selfless and self-serving... in a good way
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Perhaps even more so now that it’s an election year, I find myself observing how much politicians appear to be giving of themselves to their communities. Some of the good ones truly are so selfless. They are constantly popping into events to hear their constituents’ concerns and thoughts. Their calendars are packed with talks, luncheons, anniversaries, ribbon cutting ceremonies, and meetings. They hold seminars and fairs to bring services to various groups of community members. They legislate to make the world better and safer. They advocate for funding for community projects. How do they even have time to have families, grocery shop or sleep?
So many of them do so much for the communities they work in (and they always remember to tell the press all about it!) :-)
This isn’t meant to belittle the hard work that those good ones do; they’re wisely using the work, and the record of their work, to propel themselves forward on life’s curvaceous, thickety path. I dig it!
I’m proposing that comedians can benefit by being like politicians, in a sense.
(And I don’t mean the ones who are working to keep women from having rights over their own bodies!)
Here’s what I do mean:
Whether it’s giving a portion of ticket sales to a local charity or family in need, staying late after a show to take photos with supporters, packing the calendar with free appearances alongside paid gigs or presenting a free workshop or show in an effort to bolster community service hours donated, there are many ways comedians can give.
We can give to our communities, we can give to other comedians, we can give to anyone we want to. We can give money, time, resources, advice, support, and we have a really cool service to donate—the gift of laughter.
One gift of laughter service that’s easy to offer—I always give free tickets away any time I see people doing fundraisers, raffles or tricky trays. In addition to making a donation that supports people in my community, it gets my name and show name out in front of more eyeballs, it helps fill the show’s seats, and it costs me really nothing.
Taking another comedian under your wing and supporting them is another easy way to offer a community service, and the return is good; they are often appreciative of the help and as they begin to grow as a comic, they may return your efforts by booking you on their shows and introducing you to people they meet along the way.
This strategy also works with helping comedians who are at the same level as you along by tossing them gigs, trading booker contact info, or going to their show, even though you’re not performing in it. I never really understood comedians who try to covet all the stuff for themselves, and hoard resources. It’s just no way to move through life, and it certainly isn’t beneficial to anyone, least of all, themselves.
Maybe you were hurt, (who hurt you? I’ll destroy them!) maybe you are an only child, maybe you are missing the gene required to love. Whatever the issue is, work through it. Giving is an important part of getting. So get with the giving program. It’s a reciprocal world out there. Roll up your sleeves and jump in.
Comedians can learn a lot by being more like politicians—just make sure to try and be like one of the good ones.
Daily Musings:
Here, I share interesting things I’ve come across in my readings, and items that may provide a deeper dive into the post’s themes.
Politicians live longer than most people | U of Oxford
Celebrities who became politicians | Deutsche Welle
Lessons we can learn from politics | The Dreamcatch
Study says comedy can help change the world | Rutgers University
Etc.:
Here, I share links that feature my work, items that are personal to me, and paid advertisements (email jessdelfino at gmail.com to advertise)
Piece I wrote on hot air balloons is for the birds (sorry) | Scranton Times-Tribune
Catch me this Thu at Lehigh Valley’s Funniest Competition | Morning Call
Check out my self-styled photo shoot - which is your fave? | Insta
One thing I’ve learned about country life…
See you in my dreams <3