About Diary Of A Failed Comedian

What Is This?

It’s a Substack about comedy, art, culture, and how it feels to follow your dreams…and fail.

Who Am I?

I’m Peter.  For fifteen years, I pursued a career in stand-up comedy.  Some people get into comedy with big aspirations.  They want to sell out arenas, star in movies, or host a talk show.  Not me.  My ultimate goal was simply to become a full-time comedian that didn’t need a day job to pay the bills.  Even in that relatively modest aim, I failed.  After fifteen years of falling short, I got incredibly burned out and comedy started to feel more like a burden than a source of joy or passion.  I also got married and the thought of doing open mics in the back of Brooklyn dive bars instead of spending time at home with my loving wife and adorable dog was incredibly depressing.  So I gave the whole thing up, and I’m very happy with that decision.

Why Should You Read This?

You should read this if you’re interested in learning about the flip side of following your dreams, the side that is full of desperation, regret, humiliation, anxiety, angst, and plenty of other negative emotions.  But you should also read this if you’re interested in learning about the flip side of THAT flip side, where negativity is transmuted into something valuable: Meaning.  Because even though I technically failed at comedy, it provided me with things that are ultimately more important than taping a Netflix special.  It gave me a sense of purpose, a vessel for discipline, and a reason for getting out of bed in the morning.  All of these things have now carried over into my daily life as a husband and a dude with a regular job.  

How did I find these positive attributes amidst all of the negativity?  Well, dear reader, if you want to find out, you’re going to have to smash that Subscribe button.

For a more in-depth explanation of this Substack, you can read my introduction post here.