👨🏻‍🎓 029 - How Studying Philosophy and Comedy Will Make You a Better Storyteller 📚

Ugh. I hate this.

I’m laying on my couch browsing YouTube and waiting for inspiration to strike.

Actually, I just finished scrolling YouTube and I’m currently writing this newsletter.

But let’s just say I’m still procrastinating.

And today, I really don’t feel like writing anything.

It’s been a super busy week…

I just got back from cross-country practice…

…And I’m mentally preparing myself to go to a high school dance.

(As you may be able to tell, my friend dragged me into it)

I. AM. SO. TIRED.

Big deal, huh? Well, it is to me.

And, if there’s one thing I learned from writing over the past year, It’s this:

Writing something often beats writing nothing.

Okay, enough of my whinging.

Let’s get started.

*rolls up sleeves*

While I was procrastinating about writing this newsletter, I stumbled across a comedian that was from Chicago (windy city babyyyyy).

By the way, his name is John Mulaney (If you wanted to check out his stuff).

Anyway, what I found fascinating was nearly all of his jokes were inspired by real-life experiences in some form or another.

And then, I watched a philosophy video by Alan Watts.

I was floored.

The depth of his ideas. The clarity of his articulation. Flawless.

And I noticed that both philosophy and comedy share certain characteristics.

Both philosophers and comedians ask the question, “Why?”

Why do we do things this way and not a different way?

Both philosophy and comedy make us question our unconscious habits.

They challenge conventions.

They say the unsayable.

They bring light to the habitual.

And that’s exactly what the best storytellers do too.

The best storytellers raise our awareness.

As Zadie Smith once said,

“The very reason I write is so that I might not sleepwalk through my entire life.”

How do you think differently than others? It’s quite simple.

Consume different to think different.

Think about it. If you read the same books, watch the same videos, and listen to the same people… wouldn’t you also come to the same conclusions?

That’s why as a storyteller, it’s crucial to pull inspiration from many places…

• Pull from your real-life

• Pull from TV shows or movies

• Pull from outside of your niche

“If you steal from one, it’s plagiarism; if you steal from many, it’s research.”

Choose to untether your childlike curiosity.

Live with an open mind.

Bounce between interests, between questions, curious, ever curious, constantly observing, constantly connecting.

And as Albert Einstein once said, “The important thing is to never stop questioning.”

Stay curious. Think different.

That is how you become a great storyteller.

You know what? I feel a lot better now. Thanks.

A few Golden Nuggets:

• Studying broadly allows you to make serendipitous connections

• Tying real-life experiences to your content makes it more relatable

• The best storytellers question the status quo, they ask “why?”

• I’m ‘bout to own this floor at my high school dance 😎

That’s all for now, I’ve gotta get changed.

I have a high school dance to catch.

Jay “Can’t Dance” Yang

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