The Beginning Of The End...

I was struck by Steve Martin's own description of what caused the downfall of his stand-up routine. He was by most accounts the most popular comedian of the day, if not all time, when he abandoned the post.

"This was no longer an experiment; I felt a huge responsibility not to let people down. Arenas of twenty thousand and three-day gigs of forty-five thousand were no place to try out new material. I dabbled with changes, introducing a small addition or mutation here and there, but they were swallowed up by the echoing, cavernous venues...

Though the audiences continued to grow, I experienced a concomitant depression caused by exhaustion, isolation, and creative ennui."

(From his memoir, "Born Standing Up.")

Many comics have since learned from Martin's now-famous burnout, and have designed ways to experiment in low-key ways to keep their material fresh, and to fill their own creative tanks; so we can all be hopeful that our favorite comedians' routines won't suffer the same fate.

From a business perspective, I wonder if those lines are almost hauntingly familiar. Striking enough to be surprised at their source.

What was the cause? An inability to experiment. A desire not to disappoint that squeezed out trying something new.

And notice when the affliction set in: while the audiences were growing. While business was booming.

It's not the same, for sure, but it's a useful analog. Where's your space to experiment?

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