Crossroads in my life. Advice?

[FoxComedy]

Hi.  I'm an atheist, a comedian, and a southerner.  Southern United States to clarify for anyone not living here.  Or there, as the case may be for you.

I live in St. Petersburg, Fl, and every day I feel like I am faced with defeatists, crybabies, and people who are just plain bitter about how their lives have turned out.  Even the other local comedians and, more broadly, creative types seem so angry and/or depressed.  Some are directionless, others just seem too stubborn to reexamine their approach to things.

I'm a pretty happy person.  I have great friends (sadly, most of them live all over the state and Florida's pretty big) I get regular exercise, and best of all, I get to make people laugh at comedy clubs, bars, coffee shops, etc.  But I'm ready to step up my game and become a paid comedian and take on some bigger work (web sketches, voice acting, etc.)

I also have an idea for a web community dedicated to self-improvement and, eventually, improvement of your local physical community.  Now, in theory, a website can be designed from anywhere, but I don't know if I want to stay in Fl to do it simply because it's familiar.

On the other hand, even though I hear some great stuff about all the creative things happening in L.A., I am apprehensive about how crowded it is and about how hard it might be to break into the comedy scene over there.

So my crossroads question is this:  do I leave the general atmosphere of defeat and bitterness behind me in order to grow, or do I stay and try to improve said atmosphere?  

This is my first concerted effort at finding a group of like-minded individuals.  If there are any other atheist creative types on this board who live in Fl and have a gusto for life, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE get in touch with me.

[leo]

Welcome !

[Sleeper]

I've been to Honduras, so Florida's now the 2nd most depressing place I've ever seen.

I'm from 3 states up the coast (NC) but my dad's side of the family is in Florida and I've spent half my life there. It has its beautiful, breathtaking, awe-inspiring bits, no question about that. But I've found that the majority of the state has this intangible wisp of horror and despair coursing through it; it's a wilderness of hopeless surrender drowned in the stratosphere of toxic angst swimming in a permanent, amphetamine-induced hypnopompic daze. I can scarcely imagine a a place in the state that isn't filled with the kinds of people you mentioned. That's just how I've found it to be according to my time and experiences. Ultimately it's your home, you've got to make that decision.

I think that anyone who's ever made something of him/herself (which excludes me, so you know... take this for what it's worth) would say that if you want to be great, surround yourself with greatness. I haven't done anything remarkable with my life other than fathering 2 sons, but I have big, creative ambitions and I am trying to build up to where I want to be. I know I couldn't thrive or succeed in an atmosphere of people trying to either actively or passively claw me down with them.

And I couldn't thrive in Florida. Hate to dump on it, but it still gives me nightmares.

[aitm]

Welcome to the forum, I have nothing to offer you as I am only on my second sip of coffee. Hope you find something here.

[Farroc]

Hya. I would go if I were you. There's a lot of stuff going on in LA, and it's a great place for entertainers. It may be competitive, but it's a huge city and there are always more gigs. The only downside is drugs are much more dangerous to get there because of all the gang activity.  :rollin:

[stromboli]

Welcome. I'm posting mid coffee as well. I'd leave, if the option is available. New places and settings will open new creative doors, at least I think so. Take a few days and fly out there and look around. Comedic atheist voices are a very good thing- George Carlin and Tim Minchin are heroes of mine. So by all means go for it.

[SGOS]

So my crossroads question is this:  do I leave the general atmosphere of defeat and bitterness behind me in order to grow, or do I stay and try to improve said atmosphere?  

That is by far the worst thing I've ever heard about Florida.  I know it got clobbered in the housing crisis.  Does this have anything to do with the problem, or did those attitudes exist before?  Frankly, I don't see how you could stay and improve anthing, other than just learn to live with it.  I don't think you can change others.  

I moved away from such a place, a small isolated town in a chronic downward sliding economy that had been in decline for 30 years.  I never did determine if it was the economy of the area that made people so pissed off, or if some other group dynamic was taking place.  When I first moved there in the 60s people seemed quite happy to me, but it might have been that I was unaware... or things changed while I lived there.  I don't know.  My neighbor moved away, a very nice guy, who said he was moving just to get away from people's crappy attitudes.

Like I said, I moved away, not because of the people, although I can tell you that not being around such angry depressed types is an improvement in my attitude.  I miss the country somewhat, but I'm happier now.  The people are slightly more content where I am now, even though I moved from one economically depressed area to another, but I haven't been able to determine if that what's making me happier.  I don't tend to be affected by depression.  I think I'm just a happy person.

Moving to another part of the country is no small undertaking, and you don't know what you are going to find until you've lived there for awhile.  It may or may not help.  Keep in mind that wherever you go, there you'll be, so being happy with yourself is pretty important.  But who knows?  Maybe a change will do you good.  I spent a year in Southern California.  Too much crowding for me, but having said that, I found people's attitudes there to be more positive than the emotional shit hole I lived in before.

[stromboli]

Just getting away from your situation into a new environment for a bit is never bad. I spend as much time in the out of doors, which is refreshing to me. I live in Utah, which is conceivably the lamest place on earth, so living here can be a bit stifling. Look at it this way- a new environment will provide you with new source material.

[Davka]

I'm a creative type living in Tennessee. After 14 years of trying to make it work here, I've decided that it's not me, it's Tennessee. So I'm fixing up the house to sell, and getting the fuck away from here.

LA is not the only place for stand-up. The Pacific Northwest (Portland, Seattle) is pretty happening, as are lots of other cities - Chicago, Denver, NYC, and so on. If you decide to leave Florida, do some research on the web (or better yet take a road trip) and look at your options.

I'm originally from SoCal, and LA is a sprawling smear of fecal matter infested with wannabes and plastic people. You could not pay me enough to put up with that place.

[baddogma]

Florida is a great place......to visit. GTFO!

[wolf39us]

I also live in Saint Petersburg, FL.  Over by Gandy.

I would love to see your comedy man :-)

[FoxComedy]

Wow, I just got home from work and can't BELIEVE all the responses I got in just a few hours!  Thank you guys so much!  I read your replies earlier today and haven't had a chance until now to sit down and reply to them.  I'm getting a lot of agreement on the "leave Florida" side and a good amount of "any travel is good for you."

Well, the opportunity to travel is a big reason why I got into comedy.  I've spent the day thinking about it and decided I will look into making either L.A. or Seattle my new base of operations, taking road gigs whenever I can to see the beauty that is 'Murica. Seattle would be an easier moving experience as I have a brother who lives out there but I also have a decent amount of old friends living in L.A.  

Just the fact that I got so many people to reply in a rather quick fashion really put me in a more positive mood than I was in when I wrote the original post, so thanks again, guys.  I will be sending you some private messages as well because I'm interested in extrapolating your replies.  Oh and holy crap, I can't BELIEVE one of the admins is practically my neighbor!  For any of you who are curious, the following are links to some of my stand-up bits.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIjyry0I ... g&index=17

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZVajfAE ... 20Fk-Voslg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHD3t6io ... 20Fk-Voslg

[Zatoichi]

Welcome!

So my crossroads question is this: do I leave the general atmosphere of defeat and bitterness behind me in order to grow, or do I stay and try to improve said atmosphere?

I'd say if you're up for a challenge and want to improve the world, then go where there's a need. Certainly sounds like where you live has a need.

On the other hand, if it's effecting your emotional well-being, being around so much negativity, then by all means get yourself to greener pastures.

I think your idea of a self-improvement website is a great one. Any and all ways we can show secular support systems and solutions to things often thought to be within the realm of 'spirituality' or religion would be a much needed answer to the common theistic question of: "what is there to replace all the 'good work' religion does to 'help' society?"

There is no service that religion provides that a secular society cannot do as well if not better. It's high time we go about proving that.

BTW... you're a good comedian. Subbing your youtube channel... I loooove stand up comedy! Best of luck pursuing your career. I hope you achieve great success!  :-D  :-D  :-D

[blackbear89]

Apparently DIY isn't a common acronym.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Hmm..your utube won't load on my shitty phone, but.. LA is the drainage pipe of granola. Everything that isn't nuts and fruits is flakes..
There's always the northeast, NY, Beantown, Phily and effervescent NJ.. There's Toronto, Cleveland, Chicago, etc..
Comedy is often self depreciative.. I've thought of it, but not much I say is funny, but shit! Life IS depressing..people are DYING to find out what happens after life.