“I tried to be normal once. Worst 2 minutes of my life.” This quote appeals to me, and as a budding stand up comedian, I wish I’d said it first. Some credit the quote to “Unknown”, and others to Ziad K. Abdelnour.
Now back to the topic of stand up comedy. People often say that I’m funny. I like being odd, with flavours of abnormal. In that sense I can really relate to what Ziad has said. It’s one thing for people to laugh with (or at) you in a conversation, or even a small group, I’ve never contemplated attempting to make over 1,000 people laugh and yet, that’s exactly what I’ll be giving my darnedest to do on 30th October 2014.
The more I think about it, the more I think about one of my strategies for staying creatively well, and that is to not think about it. So as the time approaches I turned to one of my obsessions, healthy obsession of course, infographics. Infographics are the wonderful combination of information and graphics (duh!), creatively interpreting data to make it visually pleasing. Now to help me get grips on what I’ll be experiencing on that October evening I gazed upon the Public Speaking infographic, aptly titled – Acute Stress Response.
Things I have to look forward to
- Dilated pupils: A further reduction of my already reduced peripheral vision, I blame genetics
- Faster, deeper breathing: Potential to hyperventilate, quite a natural high especially when you’re about to pass out
- Slowed digestion: Giving my food a chance to explore the scenic route through my intestines
- Increased heart rate: I could always use more exercise
- Increased perspiration: Woohoo! No need to waste water on a shower.
WISE Stand Up for Mental Health
WISE Stand Up for Mental Health is about comedy for change. It uses the power of comedy to share stories of mental illness, empowering the comedians involved and making a positive impact on those who hear the stories. The comics’ comedy routines aim to inspire people to rethink the stigmatised views society has towards people who have a mental illness and their capacity for living fulfilling lives.
