We recently connected with Kathleen Goutos and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kathleen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

At the end of 2022, I hit what I would consider rock bottom. I had just gotten out of back to back toxic relationships & was left feeling lost & defeated. I leaned into my friends & family & started to work on my mental health. My therapist kept encouraging me to write as she knows how much I love it but I found it too hard to write about such heavy things. One day, I started writing jokes & I truly can’t stop!
After a couple of months of that, I shot my shot with my boss at the taproom I manage, The Trap in Fort Ann NY, about having a comedy show there. He said,“Certainly.” That was my first break & I have been creating & performing as much as possible since then.

Kathleen, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m 29 years old & I live in a small town in the North Country of Upstate NY. I would describe myself as an outgoing, adventurous, & free spirited soul. I absolutely adore the outdoors. Skiing, rock climbing, swimming, etc. I’m always down for a fun time out in Mother Nature. I also can be found dancing at live music events, onstage telling jokes, & running the pool table at your local dive bar. I have a 5 year old dog. Her name is Cleo & she is my best adventure buddy.
I’m incredibly close with my family & friends. I am so lucky to have such special & supportive people in my life.

As I mentioned, comedy came into my life during the darkest time of my life. It has helped me heal immensely & has empowered me in such profound ways.
It has pretty much consumed my life at this point. My head is constantly turning out new jokes, even at the most inappropriate times. My jokes are raw, authentic, & captivating. I always write about my life, myself, & my experiences. It’s been so special to see different people in my community reach out to me to thank me for talking about such tough topics that they can relate to. Comedy is truly medicine.

Anyways, I’ll write down whatever idea comes to mind in my phone under my ‘Joke Notes‘’. When I have some time, I’ll go back & try to decipher whatever it says. Sometimes it takes a minute to figure it out!
Eventually, I’ll piece together different jokes to make a bit. Once I see the vision of the bit in my head, I write it out completely in exact detail of what I’d say/do when on stage. I’ll then practice that over & over again in my head & on stage at open mics. When I have it memorized, I’ll write it into my smaller stage notebook as a one word cue to trigger my memory when I see it on stage. I also use a highlighter to highlight every other cue word of my other bits so that my brain can process what I’m looking at quicker & easier to keep the flow of the set going. I aim to not look at my notes on stage for a proper show but sometimes you have to.
Thats just the start though! Translating the joke on stage isn’t always easy. But I sure love it. It’s so much fun to bring it to life & to see what works & what doesn’t. I always record every set & then I’ll go back & rewatch it a bunch. I study myself & take notes so that I can improve my performances. That’s always so tedious & can be hard to rewatch the jokes that don’t hit well!
I also take my styling & make up on stage very seriously & that has been such a fun side that I enjoy wholeheartedly.
That’s most of the creative aspect of it all. The other huge aspect of it is the business side. Luckily, business has always come very naturally & I already run my own business, ‘Kay G, Healing Artist’, so this has been relatively easy for me to do. There is a lot behind the scenes!
I made my own website. I run that & all of my socials. I design all my own posters & reels myself as well. I book most of my own shows but I also have a manager who helps keep me on track & I’d be lost without him. Shoutout to Mike!
Networking is HUGE. I have gotten myself out into the comedy community a lot over the past 8 months & its been great. I’ve made some unmatched connections, personally & professionally. It’s not easy though, there’s a lot of gatekeeping in the community & it’s an extremely male dominated industry. But I’m patient & persistent, so it doesn’t bother me much. & it most certainly won’t stop me from reaching my goals.
Recently, I also shot my first TV commercial & it was so much fun! The theater nerd in me was overjoyed at the opportunity & I am hopeful it opens more doors, as I am currently writing the outline to my own future TV show. It’s about my life & my journey getting into stand up comedy. It’s been so fun to write!
Over all, I’m trying to make a name of myself in this scene & I am having so much fun doing it. I have big, big goals that both terrify me & excite me all at the same time. I’ve always been a fan of taking my fears head on & I can’t wait to see what this blossoms into!

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Showing up for creatives is the best way society can support artists on their endeavors. That can mean sharing their social media, telling your friends, going to see them, buying their merch/products. It takes a village!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Contact Info:

• Website: Kaygoutoscomedy.com
• Instagram: @kaygoutoscomedy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kathleen.goutos?mibextid=qWsEUC

Image Credits
Kayla Chetney Rachael Rodenmeyer David Klang