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

Claire, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

This is a hard one! I’m torn between discussing professional creative projects and creative side projects. Whether I’m getting paid or not, I have to have passion for what I do. I’ve never been a ‘it’s just a job’ kind of gal. I tried the corporate route, but I never felt like I was doing enough to make the world a better place. For the past 10 years, I’ve worked for children’s non profit organization. I like to wake up in the morning and go to sleep knowing I’m helping people.
I also think in the current state of the world, it’s meaningful to take people away from it all and give them a good show, a good laugh. That’s why I’m also part of Dirty John’s sketch and musical comedy group. We actually got nominated for a Best of the Bay award! Insert shameless plug to vote for us. It’s an accepting, positive atmosphere for the group and for the audience. We try to combine comedy and issues that we believe in. LGBTQ+ rights are being constantly threatened, and our shows are an environment where we can stand up and say, ‘that’s not right.’

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I like to call myself a life swiss army knife. I’m a non profit marketing manager, graphic designer, sketch comedy writer, performer, and stand up comedian. In terms of the marketing industry, I was lucky. I knew exactly what I wanted to do at 10 years old. I’ve always been passionate and excited about marketing. Rather than posters of Backstreet Boys and Lisa Frank unicorns, I collected unique print ad campaigns. I always tried to complete the set! My favorite were always the Adidas and Nike ads. For me, content creation has never been work. It’s always teenage Claire trying new things, overcoming artistic challenges, and having fun along the way.

I’ve always looked at Andy Warhol for inspiration. It’s hard to stand out, and that premise isn’t new. There’s so many people, so much art, everyone is just trying to make it. He made it by creating art in his own way and he stood out by being himself. When you project an authentic image to the world, you get authenticity back. Being a queer kid, we didn’t have a lot of people to look up to. I didn’t think I could be myself, so I always envied him. Being unapologetically yourself is a challenge that I will be working on the rest of my life. When people don’t like you just because you’re gay, that weighs on you. You can start to believe you don’t belong anywhere. But being in Dirty John’s changed everything. The group offers not only acceptance, but embraces me for exactly who I am.

I started my comedy journey by doing improv. I loved it, but wanted more of a challenge, so I started writing and doing stand up. My comedy mentor John Huls has pushed me to be a great comedian, performer, and writer. Now I perform stand up and write and perform in five shows a year with the Dirty John’s sketch comedy group. Making people laugh is such a gift.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

For me, I’ve always looked at other creatives like competition. But in this later phase of my life, I’ve realized that collaborating with other creatives not only makes you a better, but opens your mind. I’m currently a part of a group of amazing, inspiring women comedians. It has helped me to be a better writer, be inspired, and inspire others. As creatives, we should be lifting each other up, not trying to bring each other down.

Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?

I’m not rich enough to understand them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://itsmeclaireselius.com/
• Instagram: @c_bear11
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-selius/
• Other: @dirtyjohnsstpete
  https://vote.cltampa.com/entertainment/best-improv-team – best of the bay voting link