Annie Louey
Interview by Madeleine Dore
Annie Louey is a fresh comedic talent who putting it all into her career and immersing herself in the world of presenting and comedy.
While time is on her side, Annie is well aware of the long road to success – from her own observations, it takes at least ten years to pave a career in comedy, so it’s time to begin now.
But what’s refreshing about the 10-year time line, is that it also shows the need for patience. It’s not a moment of spontaneous success, it’s what’s underneath that that counts – it’s about bouncing back from a bad gig, rejection or setback, and putting yourself out there once again.
We speak ahead of her upcoming Melbourne Comedy Show, Annie Louey’s Big Break, which is both a hilarious and thoughtful recount of how she was dumped on the opening night of her last Comedy Festival show.
In this episode, we talk about how to step into being an artist even when you don’t feel ready, the importance of preparation, setting targets in our career, imposter syndrome freelancing routines, how admin is the key part of creative careers bike riding and how to find motivation within yourself.
Annie Louey: Comedian, presenter, actor, celebrant and producer
““Over the years, I’ve started to let it sink that I am a comedian and if a friend now says at a party, ‘This is my friend Annie, she’s a comedian,’ I won’t stomp on their foot anymore.””
Shownotes
01:46
Behind the success – When we see some who is successful, we make the assumption that it was effortless for them to get there. That they’ve always been at the top. But what we don’t see is how they’re exactly like everyone else. They’ve also experienced rejection, jealousy, and criticism, and they used it to get where they are now.
02:50
This weeks’ guest – Annie Louey is a fairly new comedian who has not long ago left the typical 9-5 working life. So far, she’s performed in over 150 shows and is preparing for her upcoming performance at the Melbourne Comedy Festival.
05:10
Use life experiences – Annie talks about how her upcoming comedy show is based around a break-up that she experienced on the exact day of the Comedy Festival that she performed in last year. She journals to keep track of these experiences so she can refer to them if and when she needs to, as well as to help expand her skills.
09:49
Taking opportunities – Annie started as a comedian at quite a young age, but the types of gigs and the lack of support that she was receiving meant that she stopped doing it. A few years later, a small compliment from someone gave her the drive to get back into it again.
12:00
Giving back – In Chinese culture, you do volunteer work after someone passes away in order to get good karma for their spirit, so Annie and her family did just that. This led Annie to The Kids Foundation, which ultimately led her back to comedy. Not only that, but it also helps her to put things into perspective and helps her to remember to be grateful for the things that she has in life.
14:37
Don’t look back – Many creatives struggle when it comes to doing something wrong or perceiving something as a failure but, rather than dwell on it, remember to keep looking forwards at the next project or your next opportunity. Your best gig, or your best project, could be your next one, even if the previous one was bad.
15:45
Things take time – Being successful in the creative industry is hard and time-consuming. Constantly research, learn, read, and build on your skills as much as possible, set yourself realistic goals, and make the time to accomplish them. Juggle and prioritise your responsibilities to fit everything in because, if you want something enough, you’ll find the time to do it.
21:23
Filling your days – When you first go freelance, it can be a bit overwhelming. Where do you start? What do you do with all your time? How do you move forwards? Fill your days with the things that you enjoy, use the time to reconnect with people, enjoy your new freedom, and keep pushing your business forwards.
24:27
Identity – It’s hard to admit to yourself, and to call yourself, something that you’re trying to become, be it a writer, an artist, or a comedian. You may have imposter syndrome and feel like you’ll never make or that you’re not good enough. But the sooner that you identify with what you want to be, the sooner you can build your confidence and your resilience to these feelings.
27:42
Creative process – Keep track of any thoughts and ideas that you have during the day. Write them down so you don’t forget and flesh the ideas out later when you have more time. Write, rewrite, and practice out loud so you can get comfortable with what you’re saying. The more organised you are, the better you’ll be able to deliver your message.
29:17
Everchanging routine – Annie is definitely more of a night owl rather than a morning person, which suits her late-night gigging lifestyle perfectly. She also enjoys being in the moment while biking, which is meditative for her because she’s alone with her thoughts for hours at a time. She enjoys keeping busy with an everchanging schedule, rather than a typical routine.
33:48
Different hats for different times – It’s easy to take on too many roles or too many projects at the same time, and it can feel chaotic to try to organise them all and see where and how you fit in. Rather than being overwhelmed, try to condense all your skills into a few categories and know when you need to fill certain roles. It’s impossible to be everything all at once.
35:17
Evening routine – Annie enjoys buying and preparing fresh foods in advance and taking her time to make the perfect dishes. She uses this time to focus only on cooking, and she’s able to ignore any distractions while doing it. Typically, this isn’t done on a schedule, but instead whenever she feels that it needs to be done.
37:13
True feelings – It’s easy to create negative stories about yourself, especially if you struggle with anxiety or depression. Start a journal and write down the emotions that you feel and what caused them, and slowly dig down to find the true meaning behind these feelings and realise that they’re not your truths.
39:26
Sleeping disorder – Annie has been diagnosed with idiopathic hypersomnia, meaning that she can fall asleep at any point during the day. Having a freelance lifestyle benefits her because it means that she’s able to have a midday nap, but also her on-stage career means that she isn’t able to fall asleep on the job, which she has been guilty of in the past.
41:25
Know your limits – Everybody has limits. It’s impossible to do everything. Because of this, you have to know what to say yes and no to when opportunities arise. Know that you can’t help everybody and that you can’t please everybody. Rather than giving a flat no, offer an alternative option instead.
43:12
External motivation – Keep yourself organised with something like a wall planner, and plan everything on it. It will help you juggle all of your responsibilities, it gives you motivation to finish everything that’s listed on it, and it allows you to see progression as you go from a blank slate to a jampacked scheduled.
44:34
Things take time – It takes a long time “make it” to the top. Annie noticed that her role models took about ten years to get where they are now. Don’t rush to succeed, but instead take your time and enjoy the journey. Take one step at a time and don’t try to rush through things.
48:00
Beating a rut – If you’re stuck, accept it and step away. Distract your mind with other things and, when you’re least expecting it, a solution or an idea will likely pop into your head. Don’t overthink things and don’t force the situation when it’s just not working right at that moment.
Findings
Annie Louey – Website
Annie Louey – Instagram
Annie Louey – Twitter
See Annie Louey's Big Break – Melbourne Comedy Festival
Interview with fashion designer Jenny Kee on the highlight is always coming
Illustration on success – Mari Andrew