Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Singer.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Roughly twenty years ago, I started doing stand-up comedy as it was always my dream to make people laugh. After dabbling with it a few times, I had finally decided that I was going to fully commit myself to the pursuit of the dream and the craft of stand-up, and have been at it ever since. Growing up in the cold, snowy winters of Southern Ohio as a kid, I had made the decision early on to move somewhere warm when I was old enough and Los Angeles was the perfect fit.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I have had my struggles the same and different than anyone else who pursues a dream in the arts. That is not to diminish mine or others’ struggles, but it is to say that no one can set out on the artist’s path and not find large boulders in their way. Mostly, the struggles are financial and the battle against the inner voice of insecurity that we all have. Sometimes that voice shouts and sometimes it seems absent, but the key for me is to try and give that voice something else to talk about. I most certainly would “have” more things or be “better off” financially if I chose the mainstream life, but I truly believe that we are only aware of this one life at a time, and it would be a shame to not try and live it with excitement, passion, and risk.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Through the last two decades, I’ve carved myself a niche I suppose in the world of the weird stand-up comedy. I’ve never considered myself anything more or less than a normal guy, but my comedy has definitely taken a drastic turn away from the mainstream over the years and I’m happy for that. I’m also known for having a paranormal podcast that spans nearly the last nine years. I’ve created a crystal identification app called CrystalEyes with a few cousins and released four live stand-up comedy albums along the way.
One of my biggest achievements is being able to just live the dream and “be” a stand-up comedian. Just recently, my first filmed comedy special released, entitled “The Supernatural.” We filmed it in a haunted school, and I truly believe it to be a one-of-a-kind project that showcases all the best parts of what I do. It may seem strange, but it was such a natural fit for me to perform there that it captured a special energy that I hope to transport to anyone who sees me do comedy – “We’re going to be okay if we focus on the love.” But, as with any project of this scope, it is never a singular effort. I never never could have come close to doing this without the vision of my manager Jessica Kelley and Rachel Gallagher. Dominic Del Bene and Jessica Mozes at Blonde Medicine brought it all to life and believed in it. The brilliant directorial eye of Steven Feinartz captured it beautifully and Sohail Najafi created the magical wonderland that is the visual design of the special. FilmDayton in my hometown of Dayton, Ohio, made sure we had a local crew of amazing filmmakers.
As a companion piece to the comedy special, I’m releasing a Paranormal Documentary Series, called “The Bridge.” The Bridge was filmed at the same school as the comedy special and is an exploration into what I believe is the common thread between all paranormal phenomena – consciousness. It also stays away from the typical dead serious, tough guy-bad ass, we’re here to hunt some ghosts-type vibe that dominates so much paranormal programming. That’s not how I investigate and that’s definitely not who I am. Investigating the paranormal is fun and I want to show that. Not sure how many comedians have ever or will ever release a comedy special and paranormal investigation series filmed at the same location, but my count it is just one…me.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I have never thrived in the world of networking, so to speak as an artform. I just try to keep one thing in mind when in situations like that: just be a nice person and listen to what people are talking about. Being someone who will listen and not just wait for their turn to speak is invaluable when it comes to making true connections with others. If we can do this and do it well, hopefully the rest will fall into place. I have had a few different mentors of the years and they all organically just came about. It feels like to me that a person will come into your life when you need them to and then they may be gone just as quickly. It is not a sad or depressing thing; it is just a way of life thing. I firmly believe and always have that we can learn something from anyone. As a stand-up who has had his share of success over the years, I can still learn something from someone who is brand new if I’m paying attention. That’s the joy of all this, the learning process is never over.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ryansingercomedy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rysing/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ryansingerofficial
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/RySing
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RyanSingerOfficial
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@ryansingercomedy
Image Credits
Sohail Najafi
