This month Michael Katz writes about “What stand-up comedy can teach us about freelancing” [1].
He makes several good points
1. Content and delivery are not the same thing.
2. The audience decides what’s funny.
3. The only way to get better is to practice.
And, of course, “The most important, I think, is to just get started.”
On the first point, he emphasizes that you need to decide “who you are”, what he case “voice”, for purposes of a specific message.
And the second point is, of course, you need to pay attention to your audience. And, as they say, the customer is always right, and you have to pay close attention.
The third point is obvious. But he also notes that there is always more to learn, and a humble, beginner’s attitude goes a lot way toward getting better.
And, of course, doing something out at the edge of your comfort zone is scary. Screwing up the courage to do stand up to a bunch of strangers is really hard. But, compared to that, pitching your own stuff, stuff that you really know and care about, should be easy, right?
This is all good advice.
I’d add a deeper point. Stand up comedy and improv in general not only force you to put your self out there, they force you to act. Whatever you try to do, but especially something multifaceted like freelancing, you will do well to act the part. If you act like a talented, confident professional, then people will treat you like one—and you’ll be a step closer to being good at doing whatever you are trying to do.
Speaking as a psychologist, I’ll note that you are acting out roles in improvised little plays all the time anyway. It’s called life. So why not study and practice to be good at this skill?
Furthermore, as I have pointed out many times, coworking can be viewed as a form of improvisational theater, in which workers enact “the future of work”, making it up for themselves. (See the book!)
So yeah, improv is something I would recommend to everyone*.
By the way, I also recommend pretty much everyone learn a bit origami, just because there are so many useful design insights, and it’s 3D and it’s self-organizing and it’s parsimonious with materials and… You get the idea.
- Michael Katz, What stand-up comedy can teach us about freelancing, in Freelancers Union Blog, June 23, 2020. https://blog.freelancersunion.org/2020/06/23/what-stand-up-comedy-can-teach-us-about-freelancing/
* Of course, I am far, far too shy to take this advice myself. But then, I am not a successful freelancer, am I? Do as I say, not as I do.
What Is Coworking? 