We were lucky to catch up with Cortney Warner recently and have shared our conversation below.
Cortney, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
I started stand up comedy in 2016, when I was 22 about to be 23. I started by going to open mics and watching a TON of stand up, anything I could find. I would go to other local shows and watch and see what worked and what didn’t, and try and incorporate things I learned into my own writing and performing.
I think I could’ve sped up my learning and progression by getting out of my own head a bit more, and focusing more on how can I write for my specific voice and perspective, other than what I thought would be cool or make me more popular at the time.
I think the skills that are most essential are being resilient. With comedy, you’re always gonna bomb, no matter who you are or how successful you are. Being able to be as objective as you can about what works and what doesn’t, and being able to factor in all elements, is so important.
I think I definitely got in my own way when I first started, I just wanted to be accepted by this new community and to just fit in. I think my own neurosis got in my way of advancing faster than I have.
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.
I got into comedy and writing pretty shortly after I decided to stop being a musician. I played music, classical and jazz guitar, for nearly a decade before realizing that a professional life in that world wasn’t for me. I have always been creative and enjoyed the arts, but I couldn’t really settle on what was right for me before trying stand up. From there, everything else has come after that.
In addition to stand up comedy, I also used to podcast and I did improv for a few years. I wrote satire articles and also work as a copywriter and interviewer when I can. Currently, my main focus is stand up along with screenwriting and producing filmed and scripted projects.
My goal overall is the be a tv and film writer and to do stand up when I’m not working in tv and film. I would love to one day own my own production company and direct movies and tv shows in addition to writing them and for them.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
Yes, the book that got me to even try stand up comedy is Judd Apatow’s Sick in the Head. That book changed my whole life. I remember feeling lost and not knowing what I wanted to do with my life, and a friend recommended that I read it, just as something fun. The book is a series of interviews Judd has done over his career with comedians and other artists, and once I started reading it, I felt seen. In the sense that I saw how other’s brains worked and that I wasn’t totally insane (well, not totally. The book is called “Sick in the Head” after all haha). So I always recommend that book to folks, either other comedians or just people who want to read something good.
I also love the Good One podcast by Vulture, which interviews comedians about specific jokes they have or their creative journey. It’s really inspiring to see people who have made it share their struggles in the industry and creative processes.
I am an avid fan of music as well, and I think music and comedy have a lot of similarities. I’ve tried to model my business practices and career off of musicians I’ve seen, I think the way they create and promote their art is really interesting, and different from how comedians generally go about it. I’m sure me living in Music City also influences this.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I mean, ideally I’d love to be a full time artist and performer. I know that’s most everyone’s dream whenever they decide to commit their lives to a specific creative path. But I think more specifically, I just want to be seen. That’s an incredibly intimate thing to will for a whole career, but it feels intrinsic to artist’s journey’s, and mine is no different. I think we all get into art and self-expression to do exactly that, express ourselves.
I should mention, I don’t use comedy as “therapy” (which I don’t think is what people should use it for as it is. This article is sponsored by Better Help.com-kidding!), but I do use it as a lens on how to process the world around me and commentate on it. Comedy is the art of surprise, and also, I think, the art of realization. It’s euphoric to be in a room with an audience and everyone all comes to the same conclusion together. It makes the world seem a little less terrifying and big.
I also hope that other people who look like me and have similar backgrounds as me can glean something from my work. Growing up as an adopted Asian American person in rural Ohio makes for a surprisingly unique origin story, I rarely, if ever, saw anyone who looked like me in mainstream media, let alone had my background. I know I’m not the only one out there! If I can help someone see themselves reflected in media or entertainment, in any capacity, then I will have met my life’s goal and purpose.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @cortneywarner13
- Twitter: @cortneywarne13
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC84WeTDUEv2evfaHVeSf9Ug
Image Credits
Lindsey Morgan and Alyssa Udovitsch.