There is nothing to fear but fear itself

[Optimus Prime Rib]

I am thinking of getting over my social anxiety and give a shot at my true dream: being a stand up comic.


Any thoughts on how to get over the nerves?

[Best First]

from what i have read - don't drink, you will lose your edge.

Other than that, again more based on reading about it than anything else - i think you just have to go for it. There is not really a half way house between getting on stage and not getting on stage.

i think some Open Mic nights are generally more friendly than others so its worth doing some research.

Also almost every stand up says they bombed early on so don't take it to heart if early gigs don't go well.

Also i always find getting in shape is a good antidote to nerves/stress so while a bit tangenital exercise may be a good background method of calming nerves if you don't already do it (altho being a rootin tootin cowboy i expect you can already bench truck).

I say all this as a serial coward who has never given it a go obviously, so more power to you.

[saysadie]

Remember it isn't the end of the world if they don't like you?

I think that's all I got; I've partially overcome mine, but I kind of turned into a bit of an asshole as a result. I wouldn't recommend it.

[Best First]

yes confidence breeds wankerish like tendancies.

oh well.

[bumblemusprime]

I've gotten through a lot of nerve-wracking stuff by utter conceit.

"They're not clapping that much. This crowd sucks! They obviously don't appreciate good music. F*** them."

If you believe in what you're doing, you'll find an audience who will validate it, even to the tenth or eleventh try.

Always make yourself open to constructive criticism, though.

[Shanti418]

Fill your audiences with friends, and imagine everyone else naked.


Before you get to stage, just try out your jokes in social situations, so you'll have some idea of what ones might be your "big guns", or which ones might not go over as well.

Make jokes about things that people always find interesting (sex, drugs) or take the piss out of yourself. Many comedians have built entire careers over fart jokes or talking about how much of a neurotic/idiot/misogynist/asshole they are (or the characters they play on stage are, rather).

Convince yourself that you're absolutely going to suck it up hard, so then when you actually do it and anything less than absolute devestation happens, you'll be happy and pleased.

Make the nerves part of your act! Many careers have also been built upon this.

Remember, your job is to make people laugh. Whether they laugh with you or at you is up to you, but either way, they're laughing.

[Brendocon]

I've gotten through a lot of nerve-wracking stuff by utter conceit.

"They're not clapping that much. This crowd sucks! They obviously don't appreciate good music. F*** them."

So much fact.

[saysadie]

Yeah, come to think of it, so have I.

I guess I should stop feeling bad that I can be a bit of a tool. In that case, I suppose conceit would be the Transfans-recommended way of dealing with social anxiety.

[Jack Cade]

Hmm. I'd say remember all that stuff about 1 success for every 1,000 failures, can't succeed without failing etc. In other words, go in there expecting to bomb, treating it like an analytical exercise in discovering the things that work and the things that don't. You could even go on stage with a checklist, like a driving instructor, and put ticks or crosses down depending on how things work.

Also, I just read that John Constantine out of Hellblazer's first act of magic was to put symbols of his childhood innocence and fear in a box, thus imprisoning his vulnerability. Or some ****.

[IronHide]

Just make fun of yourself, that really never fails. People love to laugh at someone else's misery and problems.