Meet Nick Griffith | Creator / Performer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nick Griffith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nick, how do you think about risk?
I believe taking risks is a large part of what generates personal growth.

As an entertainer and an artist it is necessity.

As an artist, before you really hit a stride, you you must find the boundaries of safety and test them.

You have to make bad work. You have to make ambitious immature work. Write bad jokes and bad, screenplays. Not really bad, just artistically immature. Flashes of promise will be there.

What works can be so surprising when we start, we have to take risks to create adversity and give our work room to grow.

Art is so personal part of that is learning what parts of ourselves generate art that connects.

Before I started doing stand-up comedy I had a crippling case of stage fright where I couldn’t even break a leg or I started freaking out.

Once I got through what seemed like a big risk, that first comedy set or fourth screenplay, I realized I was in a stage of artistry where everything seems more grand and important than I was really capable of being as a beginner.

Interesting work requires risk, Mature creatives are better at predicting what risks will pay off creatively or professionally.

Risks also create failures, which most people will tell you is what will prepare one for success.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I think what sets me apart is that I do not hesitate to get my hands dirty and learn something new to create maximum impact,

I obtain kind of accidental mastery of things. Like trying to make animated shorts, I could hire people to do certain things and some could deliver.

Learning how to use Adobe creative cloud made it a more direct line from my brain to the page.

Somewhere along the line I realized I was doing things many people would consider difficult or complex, like performing stand up or video edits and because I was comparing myself to my own influences I did not appreciate where I was.

That’s part of artistically maturity. Knowing where that border between your artistry begins and where the art of your influences ends.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love taking people to the Jimmy Kimmel show in Hollywood when they come in from out of town.

A lot of people hate on Hollywood and tapings but if you have tourists for visitors it’s kind of a disservice not take the them to the tourist part of Hollywood because those are the things that everybody in their hometown is going to ask them about.

Taking them to Kimmel checks several boxes. It’s cheap. They are guaranteed to see somebody famous, if not several famous people. It gives them little time to explore.

I also think most tourists spend less time than they expect in that part of Hollywood. I usually pitch that we go down a little early to go to the Kodak theater and the Chinese theater before Kimmel and if they want to hang out down there a little after cool.

For most visitors it doesn’t take more than a couple blocks down the Walk of Fame for them to get what it is and get tired of it. So usually the walk around the block, over to Kimmel and back is enough time down there we can spend time doing something else.

I also strongly encourage people to check out our art museums. We have a lot of natural beauty in the mountains. The Getty checks a lot of those boxes.

The comedy clubs are world class. Of course I’m going to try to take them to The Hollywood Comedy or Flapper’s or another club, especially if I have a friend on a show.

As far as food goes, you got to take them to Fatburger. Try to squeeze in at least two Mexican nights we go to Salsa and Beer #4 or pick up Casitas Taco Al Carbon NoHo.

I’m also mildly obsessed with Deja vu cakes in Valley Village.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I could not get to where I am creatively without my wife, Lindsay.

Much of my life was driven by negative emotions. Anger, Resentment.

But that was not who I want to be.

My work was edgy- too edgy. Sure I got bullied and stuff in school but I had no reason to be as mad as I was even as a weirdo.

I also would say that I have been super lucky to observe the careers of several entertainer friends as they grow and get more and more heat.

Website: https://www.nickgriffithcomedy.com

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