Awhile back I read this pretty insightful piece from comedian Chris Gethard. He was talking about fear, but it also talks about the pursuit of comedy. This would be a very good read for anyone pursuing success.
The reason I'm sharing it is to get us all thinking about why we do what we do in the first place.
3 Thoughts That Stood Out to Me
Fear Never Really Goes Away (for some people) I'm sure it evolves into something different for many, but that basic fear of getting on the stage and doing well is something you will experience no matter how successful you get. That's not necessarily a bad thing, it's a thing you have to get used to if you want to keep getting on stage and performing.
Find Out What Satisfies You He didn't directly say this because he sounds like a bit of a cynic. I had a different take back from his anecdote about overhearing a cast member of SNL and a correspondent on The Daily Show talking as if they hadn't yet "made it." This must be something that stems from fear, but also not knowing what you want out of comedy. If you can get on SNL and still aren't satisfied beyond speaking about being unsatisfied then I can only assume you never figured out what satisfaction really was. SNL is the pinnacle, right? That should be rewarding enough. If it's not, figure out where your heart is in the first place when you decided to pursue comedy.
That Great Somewhat Confusing Quote "The chase is the thing and the thing is the chase." I took that to mean that the process of creating something is what we're doing and you're always in that rat race. It doesn't matter what you've already done, if you are trying to create something new you are still sitting at a blank page that needs to be filled up. You're chasing creativity constantly. That chase has to be enjoyable for you to keep doing comedy.The process that goes into working on anything in any profession has to be something you enjoy if you want to stomach doing it. At the very least you have to be able to sit through that process. Sure, you may not enjoy working on the assembly line in a factory, but can you enjoy it? Can you plod through? Some people can, some people can't.
Creativity is a fun thing to chase. It's not easy to come up with something great. It's not easy to craft what you're trying to make. That's hard work. Coming up with ideas and trying to implement them is fun. If that process is not fun for you then maybe this isn't for you. If the hard work necessary to hone what you're creating is mind-numbingly boring then maybe you are in the wrong spot.
It's all up to you.
Just don't think that just because you love something it never gets hard or that it's always going to be the most wonderful experience. That's not realistic, but it's how people approach their work, their relationships, and life in general.
If it's not perfect it's not right! WRONG.
If it's not perfect, it's life.
If you can break through the tough moments of the chase and get to the fun side of work then congratulations! You've found what satisfies you!
Work hard. Be kind. Be satisfied.