Am I funny enough to create comedy?

Many people have these doubts and don’t ever get started because of it. Don’t be one of them.

Whether writing, performing or producing content, we put our sense of humour, body, soul and arse on the line and say I think this is funny, do you agree?

And that is scary because there is an indisputable answer. Either someone laughs or they don’t.

This may explain why we ask the question “am I funny enough to make comedy?” To me it is a strange question to ask. We would never be so quick to judge other skills we can develop with a crude yes or no.

We don’t ask “am I good enough to play football?” or “am I good enough to play the piano?” If we enjoy doing it we practice, and the more we practice the better we get. There are physical attributes that mean the difference between being the best in the world and just a very good amateur, but we know if we play often enough we will improve.

And we wouldn’t immediately sign for Barcelona, or perform at the Royal Opera House. No one expects us to. We find people of a similar standard to practice and play with, and build up skills while learning from those with more experience.

So why have the mindset that we are either funny enough to make comedy or not, as if it is an entirely natural thing?

Unless you are the loudest “joker” in your group of friends, which I for one am not, you might worry that telling friends or family about your comedy ideas will lead them to say “you’re not funny, how can you be a comedian”? There is an odd perception that to deliberately portray things as funny when you put your mind to it, you must also be constantly making people laugh as you go through the day. This just isn’t true.

My response to this would be “you like to ski, but you are not skiing now in the kitchen”, or “you play football, but you are not winning headers here in the office”.

We shouldn’t treat comedy as being different to other things we do. Based on my experience writing and from conversations with more established creators, here’s some questions I believe are far more useful to ask before deciding if you can be funny enough to do it (feel free to add any of your own in the comments):

1. Do I enjoy making people laugh when I put my mind to it? Having passion is vital, because we can only really improve at something if we are getting some reward back from it. The act of comedy is portraying things in a way that makes people laugh. If that gives you a buzz, you are starting in the right place.

2. Am I willing to be a beginner? This one is hard in comedy because you have to learn what works for you and what doesn’t, and the only way to do that is by trying something that is meant to be funny and not getting a reaction to it. Embrace being a beginner and know that it’s ok to get it wrong. In fact it’s not only ok to get it wrong, it’s necessary. If you accept that not everything you write or perform or do will get the reaction you want, then you are on the right lines.

Also don’t try too much too soon, and don’t expect to write a full sitcom that will be commissioned by the BBC as your first project. Start simple. Write a sketch or film a monologue. Practice writing or performing with people of a similar standard while learning from those with more experience.

3. Can I find a like-minded audience with a shared sense of humour? Not everyone will find the same things funny that you do. Even the best comedy shows and performances do not have everyone in fits of laughter. Big names such as Stewart Lee and Ricky Gervais can be very polarising, but they are excellent at delivering their own style of comedy and they do make people with a similar sense of humour laugh. It comes down to confidence in your own sense of humour, and giving real thought to who else finds the same things funny.

4. Am I willing to learn? This is linked to being a beginner, but it’s a step on from that. To become good at something you need to actively receive and understand feedback. By understand I mean really appreciate whether something is being criticised because of a subjective difference of opinion, or because there is genuinely something that can be improved in what you are doing. The more opinions you receive the easier it will be to recognise these patterns. Be humble enough to take on feedback when trying things out, but open minded enough to know why you are getting a particular reaction.

If you can do these things, combining an enjoyment of making people laugh with an acceptance of being a beginner, a willingness to learn and finding a like-minded audience, then yes, you can be funny enough to create comedy. And if you have read this far, I highly recommend you give it a try.

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