The first time

Stepping on stage for the first time to tell jokes, well – what you think are jokes, should be special. Going out of your comfort zone is a milestone because public speaking is not easy. Most people will go through life without engaging in any form of public speaking. And they will be just fine.

Now, making people laugh is public speaking on steroids. I have always thought of standup comedy as ‘misuse of public speaking skills’. You could’ve used your skills for something with more purpose, but you chose this.

While you are obviously, and correctly, nervous, people extend unsolicited advice: Just imagine the crowd is not wearing any clothes. Please don’t. Just remember your lines, if people laugh and cheer absorb the energy and take that memory with you. You don’t want your special memory to be contaminated with an image of naked audience members.

If you record your first set and review it years later, you will see some glaring mistakes and the shyness in your act. This is fine, it’s a part of growing up. Those nerves will calm down over time and weirdly, you may miss that feeling.

When I look at my first set, from about 7 years ago – I smile. My demeanor was cute. Now sometimes after a set I feel like I’m skirting arrogance.

Enough said. All the best with that baby step!