​This week is the fourth anniversary of when I had 6 months to live. In July 2021 I was admitted into the Kaiser Woodland Hills Hospital with massive heart disease, my heart functioning at a 20% capacity. I was a bloated, sweaty, near death mess. A product of a lifetime of poor decisions. Living off Red Bulls, ZzzQuill, stressful workloads running a comedy school, and endless nights performing and traveling. You know, living the dream.

I was 280 pounds with 200/100 blood pressure and a 13 A1C (amputation levels). I had reached that level of unhealthiness because what I consumed created the "me" in me. Do not be fooled, you mess around with poison and you'll wake up one day in the Lord's presence. This doesn't just happen to your body. This happens to your soul too. If you don't think the music, art, people, religion, etc. you consume eats away or feeds your spiritual essence, then you're not maximizing your talents or life experience. This also will effect your comedy or lack there of. 

The People You Run With Are a Fuel or Vacuum
When starting out in comedy, your friends are the others you meet in open mics, classes, and booked shows. You almost have no control over who you work with, as bookers often put strangers together on lineups, and open mics and classes let anyone participate if they can pay the entry fees. That's why it is important to be selective on who you work with, hang with, and write with. They will either fuel your dreams and support you, or they will suck the life out of you with destructive negativity. 

There's a huge difference in sharing good news with a fellow comic and them saying, "I did that show. Make sure you leave early as parking is tough" as opposed to "that show sucks - there's nowhere to park." There's a difference between getting a guest spot and a supportive comic saying, "That's amazing. Glad they finally gave you a shot!" instead of "How much does it pay? And can you tell the booker about me?"

One attitude feeds into you. The other puts you on the defense. While there might be huge red flags in your new gig, by asking positive questions instead of judgmentally barking, you will feel differently about the show and your personal growth as a comic.

This goes for personal relationships as well. Look, most people are happy for you in the beginning of your journey, but most will become annoyed down the road. The constant posting of clips, shows, and you missing "guys night" and "girl's weekends" for comedy will cut off many from your life. But we need outside support. Friends from past lives (old jobs, college, high school, churches, etc.) that remind us who we are and were before the all consuming stand up bug hits.

That's not to say, personal relationships are still crucial. I was recently in a green room with a well know young comic, and she opened up that as much as she likes stand up, she'd really like a boyfriend. I told her I feel that way about finding a girl as well. Her vulnerability was refreshing and sobering. At the end of the day, the only way we truly grow to our full potential is side by side with others. Not always romantically, but it certainly forces us to discover more about ourselves.

Having lasting relationships that feed into us makes a huge difference. When relationships suck up our soul, it helps no one. Your art becomes a reflection of your experiences. This is why I despise so much of Christian comedy, because it's anti-spouse, anti-children, and anti-culture. It's so clear many of these comics have terrible lives when their lazy writing starts with "my kid is so stupid" jokes followed by "why won't my spouse just shut up" commentary. It's ugly and not funny. Living that life and sharing it in that context eats away at you and poisons the heart toward better communication, sexual experiences, and time spent. 

When your life is falling apart, while jokes might feel therapeutic, they are really just boomerangs throwing negativity out and then you receiving them back again. A vicious circle.              

Music is the Soundtrack to Your Life - Choose Wisely 
One factor we rarely think about is the music we listen to and the environments we dwell in. Listening to either intense angry music or something more whimsical can be a mood changer. Whether you are in your room, the car, at a bar, or at work, music playing in the background is the soundtrack to your life. 

There's some music you listen to in an attempt to create a more dynamic, competitive vibe, and then there's music you listen to to chill. If you only listen to one type, you limit your creative gas tank. I've met a lot of angry people. They either listen to no music or just angry themed songs filled with violent lyrics. I once had a coworker who did a lot of computer work alone in his office. I asked him what music he listened to, and he said he didn't. I thought, "is he a sociopath?" He said, and I quote, "I don't like music." 

There's nothing wrong with not liking certain music. I'm not really a fan of club house music. But my Lord, how can you not like listening to the sounds of Elton John or the rap lyrics of Snoop Dogg or the riffs of Lynyrd Skynyrd or the piano playing of Vanessa Carlton or the ballads of Whitney Houston? Currently, I'm in an indie rock folk phase, proudly listening to The Strumbellas, Joe Cocker, John Craige, The Lumineers, and Bob Dylan. It's been great writing and listening to these artists do their thing while I write. 

I once told my high school students that if we only had Paul Simon music to listen to, everyone's blood pressure would lower dramatically. Because the images, sounds, ideas, etc. we put into our brains and hearts develop into the ways we behave. Watch a lot of angry 24 news channels, you'll be angry or scared or both all the time. But the visceral feeling attached to watching those channels makes us feel alive, even though its killing us. It's a drug that creates a need for more of that same drug. 

If you find yourself always angry, maybe switch to music that feeds into your better angels. Turn the TV off and attempt to refocus through activities that feed your soul instead of chipping away at it. 

Your Comedy is a Reflection of Your Experiences
Often, when working with comics, they tell me the topics they choose is based on things in their life or experiences they had. So if you don't like the topics you're ranting about, then change your experiences and inner circles. I've quit jobs because it was destroying the best parts of me. I've stepped back from coaching to create new experiences to talk about. I've changed hobbies and even fashion styles to attract new people into my life. It's crucial to keep moving, evolving, changing, and creating. 

When I got out of the hospital on July 21, 2021 - I changed a lot of ways I ate, drank, thought, and acted. I stopped drinking, started eating better, and decided to date and build new relationships without fear. I dressed better and got my hair cut to make my face more symmetrical. I took control over my "brand" and threw out my entire act in the process. 

I bombed a lot those first sixth months after getting out of the hospital. It was painful. I couldn't rely on fat jokes or a happy-go-lucky demeanor. I was thinner, scared, and emotionally recovering. It was a new feeling on stage. But by changing the food I ate, the clothes I wore, and the way I dated, it revamped my tired jokes, and I fully embraced the new version of me. This why it's important to be aware of what you are putting into your life, so you can be more aware of what you'll be connected to when you get on stage. As you grow and change what you consume, your comedy will adapt as well. And if you don't adapt, you'll become like the grumpy ex-headliners still doing Bill Clinton jokes and making bad 80's references. 

Final Thoughts 
In many ways, the scary heart failure adventure I went on in 2021 was the best thing that ever happened to me. It forced me to change how I treated myself and how I consumed my intakes of food, pop culture, and even my faith. It forced me to be better and live with less fear. It also taught me that I got into that mess by consuming fear instead of hope. You wouldn't have seen that in me back in 2015-2020, but I felt it. Today, I live with less of a people pleaser mentality. I feel like I'm in more control of everything, even the things I can't control, if only because I can accept my limited lot in life. 

​It's an amazing feeling these days knowing I almost died but made the changes I needed to live a more abundant life. I highly encourage you to take inventory of what you're taking in. Because if you don't like the "you" you are becoming, the best way is to start by changing your diet. From food to media. You just might lose 100 pounds of junk as well - physically and mentally,

Life is meant to be lived, not performed. This is a mantra I have had to remind myself of for the past decade, as I navigate through the comedy scene that is my life. On one hand, we want all the gigs and all the opportunities. On the other hand, we still yearn for a life with family, friends and hobbies. The two are mutually exclusive, when you do the math. As I climbed up the comedy ladder, I started to notice the comics who broke through to true headliner status, but never made the money to really embrace their talent, faced the same issues, stifled by a career that required 2-3 nights of performing and 2 days of travel bookending their trips. Fly out on Wednesday or Thursday. Perform Friday through Sunday. Traveling home Monday. Showcase Tuesday to work out a bit and back at it. Or they perform in a string of one nighters, driving from city to city, budgeting out gas station stops. While all of this might be romanticized, it dilutes the actual "life" from life, lead to a less fulfilling comedy career and human experience as well. 

If You Don't Take Breaks You'll Break Down 
I see you on IG doing show after show and celebrating the wins. And I'm proud of you. But at some point you have to recharge, and it's not with booze, drugs, or a beach trip. There's an intellectual drought that takes place repeating jokes over and over again that starts to suck the personality out a human. I've noticed that many comics 10 years in seem disinterested in most conversations, mostly because the way they've communicated is one way, dominating the discussion - with a mic in their hand. Plus add applause and admiration to the one sided relationship, and suddenly talking to people that don't bow down to your every word or give you the allowance to "roast them" becomes a chore. 
It's important to have actual hobbies that feed into you that create existential value. Whether that's volunteer work, coaching, writing, or gardening, you need to separate yourself from stand up and look at the world from another perspective. If you feed your soul with shows and then edit clips to post and use the algorithm to validate your very essence, you'll just end up using the supplements of life instead of the primary materials. 

The vicious cycles can be explained like this: Right before my heart failure in July 2021 I was using energy drinks to get up each morning, sleep aid to go to sleep, and my body was functioning but dying. Literally. At some point I had to use water to hydrate and rejuvenate and get off the ZzzQuill. When I was talking to friends my age, they told me they were doing the same thing. Participating in a vicious cycle of survival isn't living. Just because we were all on the same plan didn't make it healthy. Just like how we all repeat the same formulas to gain followers and get gigs, the end game without intellectual and spiritual development creates a tiring experience. 

Read, Write, See a Movie, and Exercise
The world is filled with so much creation, art, and beauty. And none of it can be found in a dark, damp, comedy room. While many might feel anxious going out into the world, there needs to be a way to develop interests and hobbies that become the metaphors and maps for navigating regular life. 

Just reading about the history of particular topic or industry can create fresh perspectives. Studying comedy to be better at comedy just makes you copycat other comedy. Studying the way Ray Kroc or Walt Disney built an empire might inspire you to make more of your own resources. 

Writing jokes for a few hours might feel therapeutic, but writing a short story or script with a beginning, middle, and end will give a feeling of accomplishment. The problem with stand up is there is no "end game." It's just go, go, go without much time to relax. You have to find hobbies to teach yourself patience and new experiences. Mini circle of life experiences. 

When I was a wrestling coach I encouraged my wrestlers to stay away from the high school style in the spring and try Greco-Roman, grappling, and Olympic Freestyle to learn new positioning and not be afraid of throwing opponents. They improved their high school style by learning other techniques and strategies. They same goes for comedy. By focusing on other aspects of life, you'll learn to apply the same ideas and concepts to your comedy. 

The die hard, narrow minded, comic might find success faster, but grow more depressed later on. A life dedicated to mastering a joke and shaking a few strangers hands isn't really a life worth living. Spending years in green rooms with huge headliners, there was a sadness about them. When I asked them about life, it was always stories about flights or bookers. Nothing about movies, books, cars, sports, etc. And I realized there was no time. Being a successful comic is the ultimate Groundhog's Day. You tell the same jokes over and over again, living out the same patterns. That produces a certain death inside when there's no life outside of the grind and hustle. 

Final Thoughts 
One of the best films about the imprisonment of the man is The Shawshank Redemption. In that film the characters are beaten down by an unfair system, and it is in the little acts of enjoyment that the characters regain their humanity. Whether it's taring the roof, listening to Mozart, or building a library, the men reconnected to what made them feel free, even if still trapped in a world bound to destroy them. 

​Prison time is slow time, Red says; but so is comedy life. A lot of waiting for just a few minutes of release. So what you do to fill the unforgiving minutes is crucial to your mental health. In The Hobbit, Gandalf looks at Bilbo and whimsically notes, "You are a very fine person, Mr. Baggins, and I am very fond of you; but you are quite a little fellow in a wide world after all." It is a wide world, and it gets wider the more you expand with it too.  

In the pursuit of fame, comics will do many awful things. Some will cut off family and friends. Others will go into massive debt funding road gigs and merch. Some will do crappy shows in unsafe environments. Some will lower their relationship standards and date terrible yet famous people to get ahead. Some will hide their ethnicity in hopes of getting into certain communities. People will do almost anything to get the gig, make the connection, or get a foot into the door. But the one thing you don't ever want to do is flat out lie. Because you will get caught. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But one day you'll be confronted, and then it all comes crashing down. I recently heard a story of a comic who said he had military service to get gigs and after the producer vetted their Facebook, realized he was lying. That conversation is going to be awkward.

You shouldn't lie for numerous reasons, but as a comic and booker I've dealt with it in numerous forms, and it's a fast track to losing gigs and respect. Oh, and did I mention, it's WRONG. Like actually wrong. Like, you're a bad person if you do it.

I'm not talking about lying to save your life, I mean lying to benefit yourself.        

So let's dive into how to avoid lying and what's the difference between being your own hype man and being a pathological liar. And I'll share some lies that ruined relationships with me. 

What Constitutes a Lie?
The definition of a lie is simple: When you knowingly say something untrue to benefit in some way. It's when you say you have accomplishments or claim certain things about others you know isn't true, but say them anyways to help yourself in the moment. People lie all the time about their relationship status, job history, height, and income. People lie on their resume. People lie to their bosses. People lie everyday. We live in a culture where politicians get elected based on the more lies they tell. It's an epidemic. But in the world of comedy, it will be your biggest red flag when climbing the comedy ladder. 

Saying an untruth is different. For instance, if you are talking to a friend and they tell you wrong information about a person, and you tell someone else what you heard, but it was incorrect, you're not lying - you're just spreading misinformation and rumors. While not ideal, it's not what I'm classifying as a lie. If you are telling people information based on the information you've gathered, then you might be wrong, but you're not lying. There has to be some malicious intent attached. 
If you do find out your spread a rumor, it's best to correct that information quickly so that the other parties know you're a person of integrity. 

The Biggest Lies Comics Say
Recently, I heard about a comic that lied about military service to get a string of military gigs. Turns out he even openly wrote on Facebook how he never served in the military but he felt that shouldn't keep bread out of his pocket. That's a doozy of a lie, but since that can be vetted after a few questions, it's not the most common lie. Here are a few that really destroy a comic's career, even if it opens doors faster in the beginning:

• Claiming you opened for a famous comic
• Getting a gig by promising your fan base will fill the room 
• Saying you can do 20+ minutes when you never have 
• Claiming you're in traffic when you just are late 
• Lying about venues you were booked in 
• Exaggerating the years you've done stand up 
• Making up sexual orientation or race to get more gigs 

These are all issues I dealt with over the years. If it wasn't people telling me they open for people they once accidently did a showcase with, it's a guy doing open mics and claiming he played the venue. The "Fake it until you make it" slogan isn't about lying. It's about taking on the persona of success and acting like you've been there before. 

I once booked a comic because she said she had 20 friends in town and wanted to get on a show. I told them I'd give them 10 minutes, but their friends would have to buy online so I knew this wasn't a scam. No tickets were bought by anyone. On the night of the show she showed up late, claiming all her friends were with her at dinner and coming over to the venue now. She showed up while the headliner was already on stage, and when I asked where her friends were, she said they were too drunk to show up. Just lie after lie. She begged for another chance. So I gave her a spot on a slow holiday weekend. She showed up late again. With no one coming to see here. Bombed in front of a handful of people and when she asked to come back I said she wasn't professional enough to work with. 

One time a headliner was running late to the show, claiming he'd be there at 8:45pm to do his 45 minute set. The show started at 8pm. He didn't show up until 9pm, claiming there was awful traffic. When I ran a Waze report on traffic, it said there was none. I had to fill the 15 minutes and the crowd was confused. Never booked him again. 

More than once I gave comics a chance to do 20 minutes on a show only for them to bail after 10 minutes. One time the guy bailed after 8 minutes. His messages were all sizzle and then no steak. When he got off the stage, the headliner was in the bathroom thinking he had ten more minutes to get ready. I did ten more minutes, mixing in crowd work and promoting future shows. He immediately asked for another spot and I told him to message me in a year. We never talked again.
I've had people claim they were gay and bisexual for LGBTQ+ shows I was co-producing, only for it to come out they "used to be" that identity or they are still questioning. Fine, but just be honest. Those shows are meant for comics to have a platform to express their unique story and point of view to people interested in how they find comedy in their journey. 

My friend produces a movie themed comedy show and tells me people repeatedly promise to stick with the show's theme, only to bail after a couple jokes and do their regular act. Some might say "who cares?" because "the people still laughed," but the way that show survives is by getting movie fans who normally don't go to comedy shows to go back to hear movie themed jokes. When a comic lies to get stage time, they ruin the integrity of the producer's marketing and brand.            

All of these types of lies are just fast tracks to reducing opportunities and becoming the warning story other comics tell others. 

Honesty Will Always Get You To Where You Need to Be
Yes, lying can have immediate benefits. Puffing yourself up and lying about your abilities to market or perform will get you a lot of gigs up front, but what about a year from now? You won't get rebooked nor will you have references or leads for future gigs. 

Lying about a story on stage is another topic for another day. The complexity of emotional truth verses literal truth is a topic comics debate all the time. But no one debates if lying is the best roadmap to success. It isn't. Comics who lie to get ahead don't last long, or even worse they have it all taken away at some point, and now they have to figure out how to make a living without any useful work experience. 

Being honest is a key to success. It will keep you from losing sleep at night. Your accomplishments will feel more rewarding if done with honor and integrity. And by being straight up, you will find your path to reach the levels and venues that are best for you. Your reputation will be solid. People will
want to work with you more. And in the words of America's greatest satirist:

If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything. - Mark Twain 

Final Thoughts 
Comedy is hard enough without trying to balance the career and the lies told. If you can only do 10 minutes of time, be honest. If you can't afford to drive 500 miles for $50, just tell the booker that. If you have to cancel, be upfront. Because eventually you will get caught in a lie. Everyone always does. 

Lying hurt the careers of too many. Not just in comedy, but all of art. Just ask Milli Vanilli how lying turned out. Carlos Mencia tried to hide his joke stealing and now he's stuck playing B clubs. The guy who wrote A Million Little Pieces lost everything when it came out he made up his drug addiction stories. Even Oprah dragged him on her couch on national TV and the next day his agents dropped him.   

I worked with high school coaches who lied to get illegal transfers, only for their teams to get suspended for years. I had police investigators call me about former students I coached who lied on their applications, only to lose their jobs within months because the police got involved. I'm not saying you'll get arrested for claiming you were on Kill Tony if you weren't. What I am saying is eventually someone will call you on your BS. 

​So tell the truth, let the chips fall where they may, and I promise you, even if you don't get everything you want, you'll get (mostly) everything you deserve - and can handle.

Most comics live stagnant lives, staying within the same geographical locations, playing the same rooms, and doing 5-10 minute sets in front of the same types of crowds. The reason isn't because they aren't funny or driven; it's because they're scared to do something and fail. But failure (yes, FAILURE) is crucial to growth and success. In this self esteem driven, mental health obsessed, "you do you, boo" world people have taken the fruits of the movement and turned it into a theology of protection above progress, and unless you are blessed and lucky, your career will stay where it is as long as you don't change in an attempt to feel safe in an industry filled with landmines. 

In the end, if you always do what you always did, you'll only get what you've always got. 

That's why pushing yourself is extremely important. Careers are built on success but also fear. One step back and two steps forward is a good ratio if you're trying to reach another level in your comedy. Whether that goal is getting longer sets or tightening punchlines, you have to set goals and find opportunities. One way to encompass all your goals is to take on the overwhelming task of filming your own comedy special.

Yes, filming your own 30 minute special. It doesn't have to be Dry Bar level productions. And you don't have to have a perfect 30 minutes. You just have to sit down, make a plan, rent a room, get a camera, and invest in yourself. For each person it's different. Maybe you film it 3 or 5 years into comedy or maybe you finally just take the last 10-15 years and film your best bits. But once you set this goal, your whole comedy career will feel and look different. Even if nothing comes out of it (which is impossible) at least you'll have something to show the world and prove to yourself you did it.  

So let's break down how to make this work for your wallet and time.

Budgeting and Planning 
Before you start getting anxiety even thinking about taking on such a high risk adventure, start by picking a date 8-12 months in advance. Just pick a date. April 4th sounds good. There, I just did it for you. 

Now pick a venue that seats 50-100 people. Hell, it can be 25 people or 200 people. I would pick a small theater and not a comedy club. Clubs will be more restrictive. Theaters will just rent the space to you and get out of the way. Or how about a back room of a restaurant or the backyard of a friend. Just pick a place and get a quote to reserve it. April 4th is booked there? Then pick a date around that one that works.  

Now you have a date and place. Black box theaters and the like want you there. So they'll be thrilled.  
Now figure out if anyone you know has a camera and wants to film you. One camera. Two cameras. 12 cameras. I don't care. Just figure out what you have at your disposal. Use a few iPhones and edit on Cap Cut. 

Now sit down and figure out how much it will cost and save up to pay the venue and the camera guy. Maybe go to the local junior college and ask the film production teacher if any students need a project. Maybe you can get a higher quality camera out of it. 

Maybe you get a side hustle for a few months to fund it. Whether you spend $500 or $5,000 - you have to see this as an investment. Though, I would cash flow it and not put it on a credit card. I want to invest and sacrifice for me not the bank. 

Pick a couple openers. Give them both 15 minutes to open the show. Make the damn thing feel like an event. And you just created a few accountability partners as well.

Think in broad strokes and not picky details. As problems pop up, solve them as fast as possible. Don't worry about them until they show up. Think Date, Venue, Camera. The objective is to make the tape you need to create the content you want to move the career forward in a direction you desire.        

Forcing Yourself To Get More Gigs and Write, Write, Write 
Now that you have a date and money on the line, go out and work on every bit you like and write new ones. Nothing forces you to step up like having to step up. Once you know the target date, begin the process of reaching out to every venue you can. Let them know you're working on filming a special in a few months and would love the stage time. 

By applying pressure on yourself and setting a goal you'll instantly feel different and more accomplished. By reaching out with a reason to get up will help with confidence. Too often comics are in their own head asking for spots. Knowing you're doing this for yourself, many will want to help. Plus, letting the crowd know you're working on jokes and making jokes about that will just create a better experience. Plus, people will want to ask questions and maybe even come to the taping. 

Organizing your jokes will take time and practice. You'll want to mix bits and eliminate tags that become repetitive. But the more you find times to get up, the more times you'll figure out pacing, tone, and the best order. 

Having a Permanent Digital Footprint 
Once you've accomplished this goal, you'll have a ton of footage to cut up, put out, and use for marketing purposes. But the greater good is once you produce and release your 30-40 minute special, you'll have a lasting document to prove you did something *literally* special. You will be able to have a digital diary of where you were at that time in our life - a milestone and notch on the belt. 

Most people have very little to show for their existence in the marketplace. Most people put in thirty years at the same job and only end up with a just a gold watch and pension they'll never show to anyone but a spouse. Your special will be something you can point to when people ask what kind of comedy do you do. You'll have a thing that's yours. Whether you spent $100 or $1,000 on it, it's a piece of you. And that feeling of self-accomplishment will carry you to the next milestone. 

I was lucky that Dry Bar reached out to me. I have a special on their app, on YouTube, and on Apple Music. And when I'm 60 years old, my 285 pound ass (at the time) will forever be there to see. We talk about immortality, and this is one way to reach it.

And on top of that, a decent quality 30-40 minute set is a great way to prove to bookers you have the ability and stamina to feature and headline.  

Your Special Can be the Canary in the Coal Mine     
Now, let's get a bit dark. Let's talk about the fear. 

The fear you'll lose money. The fear no one will come. The fear you'll bomb. The fear no one will watch it. The fear no one will like it. 

Yes. All of those things are possible. But what fear really is, at the end of the day, is a guiding light or canary in the coal mind. It can help you refine your goals and rebrand if needed. By pushing through fear you'll grow as an artist and person. 

If you lose money, then you can start seeing how to budget better. If no one comes, maybe you can decide if it's time to expand your networking and booker circle. If you bomb, then you can rethink the jokes you write. If no one watches your clips or special, then reevaluate your marketing and appeal. And if no one likes it and bookers don't book you, then you can at least say you did everything you could to become the professional comic you wanted to be. 

Of course, maybe people will come and people will like it and clubs and bookers will see the effort as a signifier of your growth and dedication. Other comics might be impressed and ask you to open for them or head their shows. 

There are many possibilities. But fear cannot be the reason you don't push onward. Dr. Seuss's "Oh, The Places You'll Go!" attacks this great paralyzing fear: 

You'll come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lightened. But mostly they are dark.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and your chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?
And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
Or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.
​
But while you might ask a million questions, you have to challenge yourself. You have the tools and you know the risks, but it is in the challenges we find the victories. And Seuss challenges his readers to take that fear and walk forward with it.
​
But on you will go
though the weather be foul.
On you will go
though your enemies prowl.
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl.
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.
On and on you will hike.
and I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.
​
Sometimes it takes a children's poem to help us grow up. 

Final Thoughts
Art only becomes great and artists only live forever when they push themselves and create their own opportunities. One way for that is to film yourself doing 30-40 minutes, posting it, and using it to showcase your talents. There will be bumps along the way, but I promise you, if you set yourself up for success, regardless if it changes your life or not, it will change you. 

In The Hobbit, Bilbo is challenged by Gandalf to go on an adventure, and he asks a fearful question:

Bilbo: Can you promise that I will come back? 

Gandalf: No. And if you do, you will not be the same.

​And what a blessing that can be too.