Summary
Explore the need for creative breaks and stepping away from a project, as Karen Morgan and Craig Constantine discuss the value of gaining fresh perspectives and reevaluating their work. They explore the world of stand-up comedy and beyond. Encouraging others to take the plunge, they emphasize the significance of initiating creative projects and letting go of technical worries.
Episode Audio
Episode Notes
In their engaging conversation, Karen and Craig explore various aspects of the stand-up comedy world. Touching on performance styles, Karen discusses her personal approach, revealing her preference for leaving the microphone in the stand. By doing so, she frees up her hands to incorporate gestures and act out certain elements of her stories, adding a visual component to her comedic performance.
You just have to talk into the microphone. You know, the rest of it is logistics and technology which you can figure out, but the part about talking in the microphone or interviewing people, you just gotta do it and then the technology kind of goes away.
~ Karen Morgan ~21’40"
They also discuss some of the challenges faced by new comics. Karen reflects on her own beginnings in stand-up comedy, recounting her participation in a comedy workshop twenty years ago. She fondly recalls how the instructor immediately pushed the students to stand up and talk into the microphone on the first night, instilling a sense of courage and determination. Drawing parallels to her own podcasting journey, Karen highlights the initial intimidation she felt towards the equipment and technical aspects. However, she emphasizes that ultimately, the most important part is simply talking into the microphone or conducting interviews, and the rest can be figured out along the way.
At some point, you need to take a little break, go for a walk, get some fresh air, then come back and you’ll see it differently or you’ll hear it differently. Sometimes after a show, I won’t listen to my stuff until the next day because I need a break from it. Like, ‘Oh, I can’t physically listen to this with a studious mind. Clearly, right now I’m too tired.’
~ Karen Morgan, ~23’15"
The conversation gets into the importance of taking breaks and gaining fresh perspectives. Karen draws parallels between her experiences in graphic design and comedy writing, explaining how stepping away from a creative project can bring new clarity. She emphasizes the importance of physically removing oneself from the work environment, taking a walk, or engaging in other activities before returning with a fresh mindset. Craig adds to this notion by sharing his tendency to postpone listening to his recordings, recognizing that exhaustion can hinder the ability to evaluate and appreciate one’s own work objectively. This discussion highlights the importance of self-care and allowing oneself time and space to recharge, ensuring a more effective and insightful creative process.
Take-aways
- Individuality in performance: The conversation highlights the diverse approaches that comedians take when performing stand-up comedy. This reminds us that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to comedy (or podcasting!), and performers have the freedom to develop their unique styles and methods to engage the audience.
- The importance of mentorship: Karen mentions how she mentors a new comic who is just starting out in stand-up comedy. This emphasizes the value of mentorship and guidance in the comedy industry. Having an experienced comedian to offer advice, share insights, and provide support can be incredibly beneficial for newcomers, helping them navigate the challenges and refine their craft.
- Taking breaks for a fresh perspective: Both Karen and Craig discuss the need to step away from their creative projects at times. They mention the importance of taking breaks, going for walks, or engaging in other activities to gain a fresh perspective and avoid getting too immersed in the details. This highlights the creative process and the significance of giving oneself space and time to recharge, allowing for new ideas and perspectives to emerge.
Resources
karenmorgan.com - Karen Morgan’s main web site.
The video sketch of Every Generation Explained that we mention in the episode is on her videos page.
The Purple Bike - Karen’s podcast.
@KarenMorganComedy - Karen’s social media handle on Instagram etc.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
Transcript
00:00.40
Craig
Hello I’m Craig Constantine welcome to Podtalk short conversations with indie podcasters that are not just about podcasting, because I like to take the scenic route. My guest today is Karen Morgan. Welcome, Karen how are you this… afternoon! Craig looks at the clock. …where am I in the planet? I was going to say I happen to know where you are. You’re over in that green part of the country right now you’re you’re on you have still of air. We have air. But we’re not opening our doors much.
00:15.64
Karen
Where are we? what are we doing how much smoke is coming to kill us from Canada. Yes, yeah, yes.
Read more…
00:32.90
Craig
Um, yeah I’m in fuchsia. Ah, ah, thanks a lot Canada No I know honestly I really feel sorry I hope your fires go out soon I feel bad for people I.
00:33.50
Karen
And we’re in sort of the light tangerine area. Yeah few we’re like we’re like more like a sunny D just just it’s a sunny delight on a day in a ah.
00:50.40
Karen
Yeah.
00:51.13
Craig
I went to Seattle last year and as we came in on the plane I had a window seat and I was like what is going on I’m like a fluid mechanics physics nerd. You could just see all the smoke from the fires. Um, when I got off the plane it got real and like that really was an eye-opener like oh the air.
01:00.91
Karen
Oh no.
01:07.51
Karen
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yes, something we might need both of gats. We might need it.
01:09.20
Craig
Is trying to kill us now. So that that not good. Um, what a downer. Yeah what a downer I’m sorry I tried to make a joke about Rainbow colors on maps and ended up talking about horrible climate and smoke right down.
01:22.50
Karen
We went right down dark deep and down real fast. Yeah, it’s good I would know but we’re the luckiest generation I Think yeah you know.
01:27.15
Craig
Well, it’s our generation right? I I think so I was really happy every time my key worked when I came home as a kid. Yay.
01:38.86
Karen
Pull it right? did you have 1 did you have 1 on a string or did you have one like hidden we had. We had ours hidden. Yeah.
01:43.71
Craig
Mine was Hidden mine was Hidden I had one of those little coin purses The little um, the rubbery plastic thing and you squeezed it in the mouth open had my change for buying my lunch and I could jam my key in there. Yeah, just pretty sharp. Yeah.
01:49.43
Karen
Yeah, Don like that. Yeah, nice, yeah, but don’t get your don’t get your finger cut on it because if you get your fingernail cut it right off.
02:01.70
Craig
Yeah, thanks, pretty tough? Um, yeah, ah so Karen Morgan is a comedian and a stand-up comedian and half of that we just did. It’s kind of like making jokes about her latest skit someone I else just put this right here. Um, if you’re listening just hit stop because this is not funny. You need to Google listen to.
02:05.23
Karen
He.
02:20.27
Craig
Karen Morgan go so go to Karenmorgan.com um when last I looked hopefully we’ll see how long this podcast was when last I looked there was a great video up there where she was doing latest skit which is all about intergenerational conflict my wording not hers. Um, but we happened to be the same generation so we were kind of making inside jokes. Um.
02:34.15
Karen
Ah.
02:38.86
Craig
Okay, it’s a podcast I’m supposed to be having a conversation so I probably should ask you a question ah before we hit the big oddly blue button I was asking you about process. So I’m sure everybody asks you like where do you get your jokes from with but but but.
02:48.79
Karen
Is it.
02:54.75
Craig
But I’m always worried as a podcaster I’m always worried about filing off too many of the edges like I go around looking for things I don’t want do this parts. Skip just part. Um, and I’m I’m wondering I would say you are much further along in your comedy journey than I am in my podcasting journey. So I’m like hey.
03:01.54
Karen
Right.
03:13.27
Craig
From your experience having filed off a lot of edges and kept edges. What are some things maybe that you think are like it doesn’t have to be like applicable directly to podcasting but like what are things that you keep that are still the schlog remember that that are still the Schloggy parts. Um.
03:14.48
Karen
Um, Brett.
03:22.98
Karen
Um, right.
03:25.92
Karen
Ah, yes, right? Well, it’s interesting because you know we’re talking but to me the writing process is really why I continue to be interested in Standup. It’s because of the writing process and you know I am not a.
03:28.20
Craig
That you that you keep because you know that’s the real part that I need to do.
03:44.10
Craig
Um.
03:45.40
Karen
Ah Setup punchline Joke Teller like some comics are you know I’m not ah I’m not that kind of I start out with a story and because I was raised in the South. My stories are long and they’re weaving and they go everywhere. So when I start writing a bit. Um, it is super long. It’s pages long. Absolute page is long. It’s too long and so in order to start shaving off that you have to get in front of an audience to see okay where where did they really laugh where did where did what what hit with them. What what kind of point in that story. Do They really like and and so.
04:16.36
Craig
Um.
04:24.33
Karen
I Audio record all my sets when I’m doing particularly when I’m starting out with new material to know. Okay that sounded great and or so occasionally sometimes I will come up with a new thing. New words that I had don’t have on my paper that magically happened.
04:36.59
Craig
Who said that but.
04:39.98
Karen
Like wait a minute but and then sometimes those words are actually funnier than what I wrote down. So so you you start with this sort of long thing long piece of of artwork I’m gonna call it artwork and then we’re sculpture.
04:50.67
Craig
Yeah, it’s a go bird.
04:53.86
Karen
And then you do start whittling it away you start whiting away so you it’s a little more detailed… It’s a little more refined… It’s a little more you know focused. Um and I try really hard again. I’m still never going to be a setup punchline Joke person. I’m gonna still be a storyteller but I will edit my stories so that they’re shorter and they just have punchlines throughout the story. Um.
05:13.89
Craig
How do you hear? Um, so I I’m guilty your honor I tend to not listen to my own work as much as I should but when when I’m I’m not often but when I’m called in that and I go but wait to have an excuse. It’s because I actually can’t tell if it worked.
05:23.62
Karen
Um, yeah.
05:31.63
Karen
Um, yeah, right right? right? right.
05:33.41
Craig
So if I do a podcast recording with you unless I happen to run into somebody or talk to somebody which does happen. Um I don’t get any feedback on it. So so if you’re listening to the recording of your work I’m guessing. It’s pretty clear because you’d be able to hear it. You’d be able to hear how the audience responded and you have the because it’s.
05:46.99
Karen
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Exactly.
05:51.58
Craig
Performative in front of like a group. Um, but I still feel like how do you hear? Um, and I’m stopping on that word because it’s odd what you’ve said in a fresh way like doesn’t it all just sound like oh my God it’s just me like I hear myself and I go oh my God It’s me that’s not funny I don’t wanna hear that anymore.
05:59.10
Karen
Um, yeah, um.
06:08.62
Karen
Ah, it’s my voice. It’s my voice isn’t my for well so I want to address quickly. The first part that what you say because when when I did my podcast that I’m not actively doing now it was host on Mike just me I recorded it did all this stuff I love doing it but it was in such a vacuum and then you put it out there.
06:11.19
Craig
Yeah.
06:27.30
Karen
And then I don’t think I really I would would like listen to it once before it went out to make sure there was nothing really horribly wrong with it and then I would listen to it again. So um I was missing I was missing like what you get with a live audience is an energy exchange.
06:36.93
Craig
Um, what? sorry.
06:41.94
Craig
M.
06:44.19
Karen
Um, this is why when during the pandemic and we had comedy shows ah over Zoom I wanted to poke my eyeballs out it was the worst experience ever and so you could see their little faces in their little squares. Um, and so you know you kind of hope.
06:51.44
Craig
Um, ah.
07:04.60
Karen
That some of them were laughing but sometimes there are sounds was off so you couldn’t tell I did 1 hour of comedy in webinar mode where I could not see or hear anyone and I will tell you I got paid quite well and that’s the only reason I did it. It was like some corporate thing. Um.
07:13.48
Craig
Um, oh my goodness.
07:22.30
Karen
I did that hour and then I went in the next room and laid down in the kitchen floor and just was catatonic for like the next five hours because it just sucked every bit of energy when you have a live audience. You get an exchange back. They give you energy back. So I can tell when I’m listening to new stuff and I’m editing. There’s an energy exchange there where they really get it and they love it and and it goes on for a little bit. It may not be complete like total laughter by everybody in the room but you you get an energy and you just have I have a six sense to it now I’m like okay they I wish that there’s sometimes I think they’re gonna laugh at. 1 part but then they laugh at something else harder and so that’s when I know okay do that one first or save that one for last you know, but there’s an energy exchange in addition to sort of the hearing part of it you you get a feel to it and.
08:03.80
Craig
Are. Are.
08:17.98
Karen
It’s It’s also I I have recorded something that I was there for So it’s like I was live in the room and I do have ah you know a bit of memory. Sometimes I just do it in the car on the way home. So it’s really fresh. Um, but okay, correct.
08:30.92
Craig
Um, Karen has a podcast. Let’s do that. So ah, Karen’s podcast is called the purple bike that I get right? Yes, and ah I’m not going about the cat out of the bag I always have the urge to unpack things like does everybody know where that comes from. It’s a sailing metaphor.
08:37.38
Karen
Ah, Purple bike.
08:45.99
Karen
Um, and.
08:47.50
Craig
Anyway, um, but yeah, no, just go look go listen to it. It’s host on Mike and it’s not comedy and it’s really good I think and um I wanted to point out that you have that show and does it have its own domain name.
08:55.80
Karen
Um, yeah.
09:01.23
Karen
I Think it’s the purple bike dot Com I think it’s or it might it might it might even be purple bike dot com because I think at some point I acquired that during the during the process.
09:06.00
Craig
I Think it’s the purple bike dot com as well. But I was hoping you would know. Ah.
09:15.97
Craig
Um, terrible.
09:17.40
Karen
But I do have to tell people I have to tell people. It’s not funny like it’s entertaining and it’s fun, but it’s not meant to be comedy so people sometimes are confused when they go over there like oh this I’m like ah.
09:25.55
Craig
Um, yeah, well I wanted to point it out because when you were talking about energy exchange in your comedy work I wanted to like hit a. Big like ooh everybody pay attention to that because almost everything that everybody does in podcasting. We have no feedback like you and I our feed get feedback from each other here in this conversation but anybody doing host on Mike you get no feedback. So this is exhausting and it’s not that it should be but.
09:46.94
Karen
Right.
09:52.29
Karen
Yeah, yeah, yeah, well it is exhaustive because it is your energy is pouring pouring out your creativity is pouring out and you do have to it does Otherwise it doesn’t suck the life out of you but but but it it. There’s a drain and you know.
09:56.40
Craig
That’s the nature of.
10:00.78
Craig
Yeah.
10:11.92
Karen
I Would I enjoyed the creative process doing my podcast I really got a kick out of that like the creating part. Um, but then then it goes into the vacuum and like you know unless you’re on top of people commenting and following you and all that stuff and that’s a separate you know community building kind of thing which.
10:18.23
Craig
Um.
10:27.35
Craig
Ah.
10:30.37
Karen
I Quite just like that part was like the let you know I enjoy the creating part of it part and rather than the let me build my community and I don’t know my community is is a is around but ah, they’re listening to comedy more than my podcast.
10:35.26
Craig
Yeah.
10:47.58
Craig
Um, ah what do you do when you completely blank on stage so I had an idea and it floated away from me ah Dance Monkey um.
10:55.23
Karen
And that’s when your brain kicks in Oh we were talking about that earlier but my brain your your brain works different things I’m sorry I interrupted you.
11:03.83
Craig
What do you find I did it again I had it and then I lost it again. No, that’s perfectly cool. Um, oh I know I wanted to ask? Um, if you okay here’s here’s a problem I’ve been having I recently started doing voiceovers for some little articles that I’ve been writing just.
11:22.40
Karen
Um, okay.
11:22.33
Craig
Mostly because I wanted to practice talking for more than 3 3 seconds or whatever and I found that it’s like really different see Craig learnarn. There’s a hashtag for this. It’s really different the way that I communicate when I’m just talking and being animated and written prose. So.
11:36.50
Karen
Yeah.
11:40.34
Craig
How did you learn I’m I’m assuming you’ve learned by now how did you learn how to get from. Oh I have a cool story or something funny that and then you like you write it down maybe in cursive and then how do you get? How do you get that up on stage and like you know do the care like have Karen Emot it
11:43.60
Karen
Um, yeah.
11:49.80
Karen
Um, you know.
11:55.76
Karen
Yeah, in real in real life as they say um, well because ah and part of it but because I was a trial attorney I write in a very correct grammatically correct with all the Oxford commas you know.
11:58.20
Craig
Yeah.
12:07.69
Craig
Um, Oxford Commas right here.
12:09.68
Karen
And so I kind of if you get an most people will get an email from me and they think I’m yelling at them because it’s just how I write emails like I Just they’re like so I’m not like the climate matters. It does it does. But so.
12:18.69
Craig
I think Grammar matters. Thank you, thank you both for emails that are grammatically correct and thank you very much all right.
12:27.50
Karen
So I’ll write it and then um and what happens is too. You write it and then once you start talking it becomes a different thing which is why it’s so important to record the audio because that’s when that’s really when the natural organic. Ah, you know Speech Patterns emerge and then the feedback from the audience comes at that point too. You know a lot of times I have people come up to me after shows and I’m writing on something new and they’re like oh what about? So and so what about so and so and that’s why that generations bit just keeps getting longer because after every show.
12:45.18
Craig
Right.
12:59.30
Craig
Um.
13:02.49
Craig
I did it I’m sorry.
13:03.67
Karen
And like the change purse man that’s going in your no but your change purse is going in there somewhere I forgot about that little rubber change purse but we all had one I had the little bank logo on it or something you know. So um I don’t know if I answered your question but it’s I write it out on a piece of paper.
13:10.13
Craig
Yeah, yeah.
13:22.88
Karen
Um I write I’ll give you the specifics I write it in cursive on a legal pad with a with a hair you with yeah with a flare pin. So I start writing with a flare pin I’m big paper I’m ah I’m still a paper pen person.
13:30.59
Craig
I’m laughing gen z you can look up cursive in Wikipedia. No I’m holding a piece of we’re both holding stuff up to the video. Everybody see this I’m holding Karen there’s no video. It’s an audio show see this.
13:41.73
Karen
Yeah, is my 10 is my paper here’s if.
13:47.86
Craig
Yeah I actually have a piece of paper has a check quest on it in a big blank space see this is where you can tell you’re entertaining me because I’m not taking any notes.
13:55.38
Karen
I’m not having to write during your day. But so but I I like the like I literally like the writing physical writing process and then I will I will do that and then I will type it after that I will type it on ah on a word document.
13:59.55
Craig
I agree I Agree. Oh.
14:10.15
Karen
And then I will take it and perform it on my feet and then I will come back with the piece of paper that’s written that’s typed and the audio thing and then I’ll compare how badly I Albert’s bad
14:21.39
Craig
How off script you were.
14:26.40
Karen
And then I mesh them together and then that’s when I start xing things out like this whole section I don’t need this whole section I don’t need this section should be moved up here it in it. This takes by the way years to get some bits where you want them. You know this process.
14:32.29
Craig
Um.
14:39.96
Craig
Do you I’m wondering. Do you actually use what you’ve written. You know like the the physical artifact. Do you actually use that to practice or I’m wondering if the act you’re shaking your head. No the act of doing all of that like sometimes I think I.
14:46.69
Karen
And.
14:53.22
Karen
Yeah.
14:57.36
Craig
I Used to have a production assistant who traveled with me and I did a whole bunch of in-person recordings and we had this after a couple of them like okay here’s how this works there’s a period of time beforehand where I am recording loading the guest in my head. Do not talk to you about anything Else. You can talking all you want, but the only thing I’m doing is thinking about this person so it feels to me like. The act of for you physically writing and the physical piece of paper which you then get out later and make X’s On. You’re really just training your brain to think a certain way about that story so that when you go like do it it you just it happens.
15:28.27
Karen
It. It’s already and it did by then because you’ve written it and done it so many times it’s in your head it. So when I was in law school and I don’t know if this comes from that or not but when I was in law school and this I was in law school so long ago we did not have laptops to take notes on.
15:47.34
Craig
Um.
15:47.96
Karen
So I would handwrite all my notes in in class on I think I had legal pads or whatever and then I would come home every night and I would type them into my my word processor that was like fat dis bad you know so and so the act of.
16:00.38
Craig
Um, dedicated device the size of a typewriter. Yeah.
16:07.31
Karen
Physically writing in class and then taking it home and typing it into the machine and then spitting that out again that was always getting the the knowledge in my head so that by the time I got to an exam or I’m reviewing for an exam or studying for the bar exam.
16:18.10
Craig
Um.
16:23.52
Karen
Um, it’s kind of in there and I feel like that with the comedy process. It’s the same and I would apply it to podcasting or anything else particularly if you’re a podcaster who is interviewing people. You know you you kind of as you said you want to be prepped for your guests So They’re not just reading out a list of questions for Them. You know it’s. So that prep work allows you to have an organic conversation that you’re not necessarily looking at your notes for or allows your brain to be open to going down different roads in an interview because you’re actively listening instead of worrying about what’s on a piece of paper I think I think that applies to everything.
16:48.92
Craig
Right.
17:03.43
Craig
I often talk about conversation I love to I love to do meta not meta the company that owns Bookface. Um I love to do meta and for me, that’s what I feel like I’m doing beforehand is like okay I need to have all the touch points. You know and I need to not drop into trying to do standup comedy I need to like have all these frames of like I have to build the spider web so that I can be in the center and have all the strings at my disposal and then when Karen gets here their goal was to just have a conversation Craig and Karen. Yeah.
17:27.54
Karen
Um, yeah, yeah, exactly? Yeah no I But but I think it takes building that before you start with with any guest. Yeah yeah.
17:39.72
Craig
That’s a good point like did did you feel like when you when you started doing stand-up comedy. Um, so for me, there are parts of what I do in these conversations that I had to really like oh I need to work on that and I had to like. Figure out ways to like make the situation force me to do that. You know every time and different things. Um, where there pieces of stand-up comedy where you were like I Yeah I know you really like the writing part but where there pieces of it like oh what I’m really not good at is I play with my hair on stage or there man like.
18:05.25
Karen
Um.
18:09.77
Karen
Um, if.
18:10.11
Craig
Ah, what are the pieces that were like yikes that’s a problem and I’m going to have to actually work that or train that.
18:14.62
Karen
Yeah, yeah, and and and particularly with with with new comics. It. It is a learning curve. Um I have evolved and have done it different ways over the years when I first started like anything this sounds silly. But. What you do how you deal with a microphone during a standup set is very personal people. Do it differently. You start watching watching comics now um I now I didn’t used to do this but I leave the microphone in the stand and I will occasionally hang on to the.
18:35.73
Craig
Um.
18:46.55
Karen
The stand but I will not take the microphone out because I talk with my hands and so this frees my hands up to tell stories to act out certain things so I leave the mic in the stand. That’s just my particular style. Um, sometimes people will will take it out and move the mic stand behind them.
18:51.72
Craig
Um, ah.
19:06.52
Karen
And then they walk around and and sometimes they walk back and forth back and forth like a tiger at the zoo and at some point I’m just watching them walk back and forth I’m not listening to them I know who wasn’t the other Chris Rock who I love.
19:14.30
Craig
Stop over right.
19:21.92
Karen
His special. He was just marching back and forth and I’m like I just like can you just stand still like like um and there was I was on a show on Friday and there was a very very new comic. She was brand new and she she literally took her her pad on stage and read her jokes. But.
19:29.32
Craig
Um.
19:40.00
Karen
Anyway I was kind of mentoring her a little bit because she’d never done it before and she and and we had gone over all this and then she got up there and she was nervous. Yeah, she took the mic out of the mic stand and then she started marching and she was marching back and forth and so there’s certain things like.
19:51.87
Craig
Yeah, but there some to be sent for what is that the first rule of fight club wait. Okay, that’s the second rule of fight club is if it’s your first night at fight club you must fight like if it’s if you’re supposed to be doing standup comic you know comedy get on the stage if you’re supposed to be doing host on mike.
19:59.94
Karen
Um, yeah.
20:06.32
Karen
Yeah, yeah, and yeah, and just do it I mean and there’s a lot to be said for the just doing it part with podcasting as well. It really is you just you got all the tools you just haven’t figured out which screwdriver to use.
20:08.18
Craig
Hit record hit stop and then press publish and that’s yeah.
20:22.31
Craig
Talking to the wrong side of the snowball mic I’ve seen that one. Yeah cool anything else top of mind in our waning time together today.
20:33.33
Karen
Um, there was something I was gonna talk about and and it’s and it’s it’s left my brain. It’s shot out the other end. It’s all good. Um, but when I first started comedy like I first started at.
20:39.90
Craig
Ah, yeah.
20:47.20
Karen
Twenty years ago and I started doing a comedy workshop. That’s how I started to do standup and our the guy who taught the class is still a good friend of mine still I calling him all the time if I have new material I will say hey um I’m gonna pay you for an hour to list me and he helps me you know? Yeah, keep that one that and’s all.
21:03.65
Craig
Yeah.
21:06.36
Karen
Horrible, but his thing was the first night we were in the workshop and no one had ever done standup at all. He made everybody stand up and talk into the microphone that night the very first night we were there. There was no like it was like nope we’re here to do standup. You’re gonna stand up and I think. Podcasters when when I was learning in my podcasting workshop during the pandemic. Um I was so intimidated by the equipment and by you know, which microphone do I get how do I hook it into my computer What do I you know which software do I use how do which you know all of those things wrapped up into.
21:26.74
Craig
Um.
21:32.77
Craig
Near.
21:41.30
Karen
You just have to talk into the microphone. You know the the rest of it is logistics and technology which you can figure out but the part about talking in the microphone or interviewing people. You just got to do it and then and then the technology kind of goes away. At some point. So.
21:59.27
Craig
Yeah, yeah, there’s a pitfall that I fell into um, often in the beginning which is because you know before the guest or like if I’m going physically somewhere before I get there I’m stolen the car or whatever or in the virtual sense before the guest has arrived in the green room. Um, because it’s just me I can just be like whoa. My brain’s going a million miles an hour and it’s all like I’m I’m way too far in to just be like hey what’s up and ah.
22:27.36
Karen
Um, yeah.
22:29.74
Craig
I’m guessing you have that kind of thing happens too where you could be like you spend weeks and weeks and weeks writing and you’re just like way not often in the weeds but like way down in the in the trench. Um, how do you is that like a problem that you how do you shift back to way it any to be like much lighter here might be a way to describe it so that I can.
22:36.67
Karen
Yeah, yeah.
22:46.36
Karen
Yeah I think um I look at it like if if you’re creating artwork or because I do graphic design too and I’ll.
22:47.22
Craig
Go and do it.
22:57.98
Karen
I’ll be let’s you say I’m making a poster for my show and I am all into well I want this to be this letter looks cricked. Ah, and I’ll be into it for an hour like and then I’m like I need to get I need to back away I need to back like and I physically get up from my desk and go do something else and come back and stare it and go oh that looks so much better.
23:13.57
Craig
Are.
23:17.65
Karen
This way but I needed to take a break from it I think I think that has anything to do any creative project whether it’s writing comedy or performing comedy or podcasting or whatever if you’re doing a creative thing at some point you need to take a little break go for a walk. You know, get some fresh air then come back just smoke.
23:36.15
Craig
Maybe not today. Ah.
23:37.54
Karen
Get some smoke into your lungs and come back and you’ll see it differently or you’ll hear it differently? um and sometimes after a show I won’t listen to my stuff until the next day because I need I need a break from it like it’s it’s such a. It’s such an energy drain like oh I can’t.
23:50.19
Craig
Um.
23:55.92
Karen
I Can’t physically listen to this with a studious mind clearly right now I’m too tired so you got to take a break just take a and you know yeah you can get you can get down the trenches on anything just go for a walk in the smoke.
24:00.19
Craig
Yeah.
24:14.35
Craig
Ah, oh all, right? Well as much as I hate to say it in every conversation ever. Um I think that’s a terrific place to stop Karen so thank you so much for taking the time I think.
24:22.95
Karen
Da um.
24:25.37
Karen
For crawling out of your smoke filled field right? It’s all good and.
24:32.73
Craig
Um, ah you know, but in all seriousness I hope everybody in Canada is okay I I think it’s pretty rural pretty far off in the mountains but hopefully it’s going to get better soon. But wow yeah I think it’s natural.
24:41.53
Karen
I Think they said it was from lightning was that I can’t yeah yeah.
24:47.96
Craig
Forest fires I’m just um, my my hope is like yes I’m I’m hoping the fire is like in the middle of nowhere like the smoke is bad but it’s really bad when the fire then gets to hereal but but a we’re often I’m off on a tangent I’m sorry I wanted to just say hey Karen.
24:51.23
Karen
Right? right? yeah.
25:00.45
Craig
Thanks so much for taking the time I know you were super busy and you’ve been really nice about rescheduling and getting in here and thank you I’m glad that we had a chance to talk? thanks.
25:06.71
Karen
No thank you and if anybody wants to follow me, not that anybody would want to follow me I’m pretty boring in real life. So people people still meet me in real life. They’re like you really you do what? and then they like so.
25:17.54
Craig
Um, yeah.
25:23.76
Karen
Um, but my website’s Karenmorgan.com and if you want to find me on Instagram or Facebook or Tiktok or any of those things that I hate to deal with you can find me there. It’s at Karen Morgan comedy
25:41.60
Craig
Terrific. Thank you so much.
25:41.71
Karen
Thank you.