Meet Paul Thompson

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Paul Thompson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Paul , we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

This is a question better asked at the end of the day because I genuinely start 98% of my mornings with very low self-esteem and confidence. I wake up in a panic, with something on my mind causing me anxiety. I lie in bed, contemplating my life choices, wondering how I ended up where I am and how I became such a loser. I know I need to get up and start the day, but the darkness in my soul at that moment makes it impossible to find even a glimmer of light to guide me.

Eventually, when the panic and anxiety reach a crippling point, I pray. Then, I go on my phone to see if my friends have sent me any memes or skateboarding videos. That usually begins to give my life a sense of purpose, and slowly, I start my day.

How much work I accomplish and how well it goes ultimately determines my confidence and self-esteem for the rest of the day. Most of the time, things go well. Even when it’s a struggle, just the process of figuring it out feels rewarding. I love art more than anything else, and anytime I get to pursue it, I’m generally very happy. The hardest part is simply getting started.

Like with Stand up, for example: I’m always convinced it’s going to go badly. I think about every possible thing that could go wrong, and my confidence is incredibly low. But most of the time, it goes really well. That tension and release is likely what keeps me coming back to it. After a good show, successful writing session, or making significant progress on a painting, my confidence and self-esteem soar for the rest of the day.

But never before. That’s how it’s always been for me—I begin the day wondering why I even try, and I end the day not wanting to sleep.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

My whole life revolves around art. Whether it’s stand-up, writing, acting, or painting, I strive to stay as true to the art form as possible. Unfortunately, now more than ever, we live in a time where creativity and artistry seem to matter less than how well you can network or how rich your parents are. I know multiple people in this country who write for shows and openly brag about never having watched a single episode or relying on AI to do most of their work.

I truly hope this is just a dark chapter for art and that the pendulum eventually swings back to what really matters—authenticity and passion—because the world desperately needs it. In the meantime, I stay true to what I do and give my best to the small but loyal audience I have.

I actively create original online content for comedy, and I recently started a new project called Microdose of Art. You can find it on Instagram at @microdoseofart. I post daily short videos where I share stories or quick lessons about art, covering everything from contemporary happenings to works from thousands of years ago.

I started Microdose of Art because I love art and art history, but I find a lot of the content online about it either boring or pretentious. I wanted to create something that shows how much cool stuff exists in the world of art in a way that’s easy to understand and totally unpretentious.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I’m probably not the best person to ask since I haven’t found much financial success yet. But I am happy, and I’ve lived a great life doing what I love. All I can really offer are the usual clichés: do it because you love it, keep your head down, and try not to compare yourself to others. And when you do look at others, try to enjoy their work instead of critiquing it.

You’re either an artist or a critic—it’s hard to be both. Focus on creating what you truly want, not what you think the world expects or what you think will “work.” Make what you want to make, and create as much of it as you can. If you do that, you should be fine.

But I mean again that’s what I’ ve done and it hasn’t really worked, I truly think about ending my life everyday, so you probably shouldn’t listen to me.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

Yes, I’m always open to collaboration, but now more than ever, it has to be with the right people—people whose first priority is having fun and who want to create something because we both love it. I avoid working with anyone who gets too caught up in what might or might not “work.” I can detect fake-ness in people very quickly, which is why I mostly collaborate with a small group or work alone.

I used to want to work with as many people as possible, but in the past few years, I’ve encountered some really bad collaborators—people who are poison to art—and it’s taken a toll on my soul. I’m always open to collaborating with other artists, but I need to be sure they’re genuinely artists.

Sometimes, you end up working with someone who might make a great producer but isn’t an artist and lacks natural creativity. They just want you to provide all the ideas, while they sit back, say yes or no, and micromanage you like a boss. Then, at the end, they claim it’s something you both created together.

This is something I’ve experienced far too often in my life, and it’s something I’m now determined to avoid.

Contact Info:

  • Instagram: @paulthompsoncomedy @paulthompsonfineart @microdoseofart
  • Youtube: @paulthompsoncomedy
  • Other: You can watch my full stand up special titled “Horny” free on YouTube

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