E012 Sandy MacFarlane Stand-up Comedy and Mental Health
Let’s Be Well Together Podcast – Episode 12
Date: April 19, 2022
Participants: John Webster, Sammy Damaren, Cameron Earnshaw and Sheila Webster
Guest: Alex “Sandy” MacFarlane (from the Rusty Nail Comedy Club, which runs regular comedy shows at Crazy Canuck Restaurant in Kitchener, Ontario)
Start times and Segment Segments:
[0:00:19] What’s On Your Mind: Sheila continues her interview of Sammy, as part of getting to know Sammy. We hear about uni days and some of Sammy’s travels.
[0:12:27] Expanding Minds Interview: [Artistic Wellness] We interview stand-up comedian and founder of Rusty Nail Comedy Club, Alex “Sandy” MacFarlane. Art as an important source of wellness and stand-up comedy is an amazing form of art. Sandy provides general info about stand-up and talks about a connection to mental health.
[0:30:21] Adventures of the Starving Artist: Spring has sprung for Cameron, with a sense of rejuvenation. Cameron noticed a trend between music preference and times of year.
[0:34:24] Move That Body: John had luck losing weight by not working out (at the start of a period of weight loss). That’s counter intuitive. How did that work for him?
[0:41:54] Running Popup: John’s Run Kitchener Project.
[0:44:57] Flipside of the Coin: Sheila and John muse about starting a life board.
Quotes and Take-Aways:
Sammy [speaking about time as a volunteer in Cambodia] – Riding elephants is not a socially good thing to do. Typically when you pay to ride an elephant, it’s an elephant that’s abused and in captivity. We were working with elephants that were safe from those kinds of environments.
Alex – That’s where a lot of my mental health awareness comes from to be honest with you. When I’m writing, I can feel what emotions I’m experiencing – when I’m writing I can feel whether I’m more anxious or angry or in a better mood. I can really tell through my writing. Even if those emotions don’t make it to stage, that helps me.
Alex – As far as the mental health part goes, I’m not going to speak for all comedians, but I know for me it’s an outlet and it’s a big outlet.
Alex – Some comedians use comedy as a defence mechanism when it comes to emotional things.
Alex – Writing is very hard for a lot of comedians, because it’s a discipline. It’s hard discipline to routine yourself into and really get into it. When you don’t do it, you beat yourself up a little bit.
Cameron – Spring has sprung. My plants and I are happy about it. My music taste is changing with the seasons. Go figure.
Bulletin Board Quote brought to you by Alex: It’s people’s number one fear, more than getting burned alive.
Guest Information: Alex MacFarlane goes by Sandy in comedy. He got into comedy when a friend suggested he try it at a stand-up competition at London Ontario Yuk Yuk's. Sandy won and was invited back to open for the Yuk headliners that weekend. After years of travelling for comedy, Alex started producing shows in his home town Kitchener Waterloo and Rusty Nail Comedy was born. Rusty Nail produces comedy shows all over Southern Ontario but mainly in venues thorough out Waterloo region. In August 2020 Rusty Nail found a home at The Crazy Canuck restaurant in downtown Kitchener. Every Friday & Saturday night The Crazy Canuck turns into Rusty Nail Comedy Club, Waterloo Regions only comedy club. Rusty Nail Comedy's philosophy is "comedy will save the world" (a quote from Jean Paul).
Rusty Nail Comedy Website: https://www.rustynailcomedy.com
Rusty Nail Comedy Instagram: @rustynailcomedy
Crazy Canuck Restaurant Website: http://www.thecrazycanuck.ca
Crazy Canuck Restaurant Instagram: @crazy_canuck_restauranteh
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Thanks for joining us,
(-(-_(-_-)_-)-) Your wellness check-in team
John, Sammy, Cameron, Sheila and Julie