On this episode of the Not-a-Podcast Show is San Diego based comedian Christian Ricketts. He was on a roll in Portland, Oregon when I lived there and dabbled in comedy. I quit for good, but some years later he took a break. I have taken a break from music, but I had to come back to it. Comedy, not so much. For Christian, it’s in his gut. That is why he cannot stay away from it, nor myself music.
We are the same age, haven’t started families, we are both inclined toward Buddhist thought and practice, and grapple with the idea of the ego of the artist, trying to focus on the creative process rather than the outcomes desired.
There does come a time in which your calling is more than your desire. It can be very difficult to decipher between a clear signal to do a thing and the fantasy that ego builds up around it. Sometimes ego can build so much around it that the signal, or the creative process, is blocked. With great art, the heart and mind needs to be open to allow the process to unfold from the gut.
This is Christian’s second appearance on the show. It was about a year ago and he was just reentering the comedy scene. Since then, he has featured numerous showcases and is back on a roll.
Immediately following this interview, I had to take a break. I went back to visit Portland and came back needing to focus on money. I continue to question what I am truly called to do.
Nobody rewards me for doing this show, and guests can be very annoying to deal with, especially when they turn scheduling into a game.
However, I genuinely like people. I enjoy talking with and learning from people. I hope to demonstrate on this show what it looks like to listen to people and not be another echo chamber. It is kind of an echo chamber because my viewership is so low, not because I repeat empty ideas endlessly.
Hopefully this show carries on, it’s something I actually enjoy doing, but nobody is banging down my door about it, and that is one measure as to the difference between ego and need. If I can’t stay away from it, then I’ll do it no matter what.
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