Sorry I haven't written a blog for a while. I genuinely am sorry. I should have made the time and I feel guilty for not doing it. The problem has been I've been having too much fun. That's kind of how I am with writing. I write best when an emotion overcomes me.
I'm not the only comedian who's like this. Last night I was chatting to a comic who confessed he writes best when he's angry. I can totally see his point. I need different emotions for different types of writing.
I write my best standup when I'm angry or pissed off, or a combination of the two. Standup, for me, seems to come from a sense of frustration. An audience relates to that feeling of hopelessness when you can't seem to catch a break and a situation turns against you. Then they want to live through your anger or revenge, even if they know the situation is made up, because they want to hear about someone getting the upper hand in exactly the way they wish they had.
I write for TV and radio shows much better when I'm feeling poor. It's not that I don't enjoy writing for other people (it is a little) but I tend to lack any focus and discipline with my writing. When I need the money and can't afford to get fired for not doing anything, that tends to focus my mind and dramatically increases my output.
But to write this blog I need to be bored or in need of a distraction. Thing is, I haven't been bored lately. I've been having a lot of fun and I've had too many other things going on to distract me. That's not to say that you're not important to me too. It's just that the sun has been out and that means picnics and that means drinking wine. It's raining this week and so I'm writing this blog, and drinking wine. Wine is the constant in my life.
Professionally I've been really busy. I've been writing a show with my wife. It's called 'Mr & Mrs' and we're performing it at the Adelaide Fringe and the Sydney Comedy Festivals next year. It's about how we're both standup comedians and the strain this puts on our marriage. If I'm being honest we fight more when we're working together than at any other time in our marriage. So I haven't been able to write the blog because I've been writing the show and I've been getting yelled at. And you can't write a blog when someone is yelling at you, that just tends to make them yell more.
I've also been doing a few more gigs. It's been fun to get out there a bit more lately. I've been writing new jokes and stuff. It's always exciting when you do new material, it give you a real jolt of adrenalin. So I haven't been able to write a blog because I've been too self involved.
A little while ago I planted a little herb/vegetable garden and I've really enjoyed pottering about with it. I've been eating lettuce, basil and mint that I grew and that's made me stupidly happy. Also we got a new BBQ. This is a triumphant event in an Australian man's life. So I haven't been able to write a blog because I've been growing, cooking and eating stuff. And a well fed man is not bored enough to write a blog.
This isn't just a writing thing. A friend of mine admitted a little while ago that when he's on holiday he only takes photos when he's bored. He said that that's why his photos are always there dull scenery shots. It's because when he's doing something awesome and exciting he's too busy having fun to take photos of it. I always thought that about the people who always take photos of everyone when they're down the pub with friends. I never take photos of friends when we're down the pub because I'm enjoying the moment too much to interrupt the fun by taking a photo. These people spend a whole evening watching fun through a camera lens and have to look at the photos the next day to make sure they had a good time the night before.
So why am I writing this blog? Guilt. I felt guilty. It's not like I've had loads of messages from people asking me where my weekly blog has been the past few weeks. I've actually only been asked 3 times and given how many people I get reading my blog it's a little insulting that only 3 of you noticed I wasn't around. But I've felt guilty because I told myself that I would write this blog each week and as a lack of discipline in my writing is one of my many flaws I need to actually write each week.
So I'm back and I'll be back to writing this thing each week. Or at least until I get a new distraction, or I get yelled at. Given that the show is currently in the editing phase that's a possibility.
Don't forget to follow me on twitter: @counterproduct
And check out our website with details about the show and things:
http://counterproductives.tumblr.com
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