We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shyloh Blake. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shyloh below.

Shyloh, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you wish you had started sooner?

This is a great question! I used to think about this all the time. I don’t know if I wish I started earlier, but I never wish I started later. I got into stand-up when I was almost 30 years old. There can be an emphasis on age or time served in comedy, but somewhere along the way I learned to put that out of my mind. I’m more interested in where I’m going than where I could have been. If I started earlier I don’t know if I’d be further in my comedy career or if I would have just been doing it longer.

I’ve always been an artist and storyteller. Everything I’ve ever done has led me here and that’s good enough for me. I often pull from my past experiences to help with my current professional goals. I have faith that I’ll end up where I need to be, whatever that ends up looking like. I love the journey, so I’m out here working hard and enjoying the ride.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Sure! My Name is Shyloh Blake. I am a stand-up comedian based in Minneapolis, MN. I write about my personal experiences, which is what allows me to connect with audiences. I’m a goofy person and I have always felt like the way I navigate the world is pretty funny. It’s important to be able to laugh at yourself, and I hope it’s a good hint that other people will laugh too.

I started stand-up shortly before the pandemic, so I spent my early days working on as many outdoor and virtual shows as possible. In some ways I was fortunate to start when I did, because it taught me early on to keep an open mind and create my own opportunities. Those days were really difficult for stand-up comedians because our performance is so dependent on the audience. It wasn’t always fun but my motivation to work through it showed me how much I love this.

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

There’s so much that we could be doing better! Please support art programs in your local communities, incorporate business skills into art programs, come to shows, buy merch, follow us on social media, but above all…pay us! I have encountered the strange idea that creative skills are a gift that we just have by some magic, but we all put in uncountable hours learning and improving our crafts. After that, we put in even more hours running the business side of things. There are so many creatives burning the candle at both ends just to scrape by. We’re all so much more creative and productive when we’re not stressed about how we’re going to get through our days, or how much more time we could spend on our creative work if we weren’t tied to our day jobs to support the work we’re passionate about.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

My absolute favorite thing about working in the arts is the people I get to meet and connect with. Meeting other creatives gives me so much energy to keep working on my craft and talking to audience members helps me see the impact of my work. There’s a lot of power in storytelling and a lot of healing in humor. There are so many moments that I will keep with me forever and I’ve met so many incredible people. Also, it’s just FUN! I’m incredibly fortunate to be able to do this.

Contact Info:

• Website: shylohcomedy.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/shylohblake/
• Facebook: facebook.com/ShylohBlake
• Twitter: twitter.com/ShylohBlake

Image Credits
Featured Photo by Ali Horman. Additional photos by Ryan Coit, Derek Meyers, and Travis Ackerman.