We were lucky to catch up with Nicole Rossa recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nicole, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?

The first time I got paid for performing stand-up, not just in chicken strips and free beer, was hosting a weekly burlesque show in Seattle. It became clear very quickly that I would have to spend most of the money I made from the gig buying costumes to wear, but I do love sparkle. I promptly spent my first check on a proper evening gown, expensive shoes, and an obscenely large purse that doubled as a travel bag. It felt like the Reba McEntire song, ‘Fancy,’ “I was gonna be a lady one day, but I didn’t know when or how.”

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’m a stand-up comedian and writer. I started like most, doing open mics and building my act and persona each time I went on stage. When I started, my jokes were all over the place, primarily dirty and self-deprecating.

When the pandemic hit, I had a chance to study comedy more in-depth via a Master’s program at Falmouth University, and thinking about comedy from an academic standpoint allowed me to consider why things are funny in a more profound way. This sounds pretentious, but with humor being so important culturally, I wanted my material to be from a crafted and thoughtful place instead of from my comedy lizard brain–that part of all comedians that will do anything for a laugh. Lizard Lady can’t be trusted; she is a bit of a lush between you and me.

I have a relentless drive to turn bad situations into funny ones. It gives my humor an unexpected dark edge that audiences find endearing. Bad days are just good stories to me. I want folks to lose themselves in the absurdity of how terrible a situation can seem on paper but highlight its hilarious nuances.

I’m most proud of how I’ve pushed myself to write truthfully without throwing myself under the bus. It cost me some early career opportunities, i.e., due to my unwillingness to cry on reality TV, but honing my craft at a meandering pace has given me personal satisfaction and the mental fortitude to embark on the next phase of my career as a middle-aged woman–which will take a level of strength used only previously for pulling up my compression socks.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

No, I can’t “…just get a regular job.” Being a creative person isn’t a hat I wear on weekends. Countless times, I have told people I am a writer and a comedian, and they respond, “You could be a teacher!” Yeah, I could and have, and no disrespect to teachers. They work incredibly hard, but when you tell an artist to shift their focus away from their passion for focusing solely on making money, paychecks become soul-crushing sadness trophies.

You may feel like you are helping a dreamer come back to reality, but artists must create. In my case, attempting to live a double life as a comedian / 8th-grade language arts teacher only led to having many awkward conversations with students about why Ms. Rossa swears so much on the internet. If you are wondering whether students ever thought my comedy was cool? No, no, they did not.

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

The most rewarding thing about being a creative person is respecting how my brain works. I often have big goals that, to outsiders, seem outlandish, but as someone whose mind can find a way around or through just about anything, seeing a big project through, like writing a script, adding time to my comedy set, or producing a live show is the biggest thrill in the world! It doesn’t get better than watching an audience enjoy what you created inside your brain. The second most rewarding thing is getting stuff for free because creatives are notoriously strapped for cash.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.runawaymarriage.com
• Instagram: @Viva_La_Rossa_CLE
• Facebook: NicoLaSa988
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-rossa
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@vivalarossa

Image Credits
Photo #1 – Snowflake Comedy