Sarah Spear: It's Okay If You Fall
September 3, 2023
Joanna DeGeneres
On my long list of bucket list items is a trip to Japan; nowhere on that same list is being a model (face, feet, or otherwise). Today’s guest has done both, and all before the age of 10.
Sarah Spear (who refers to her life as a “swirling vortex of entropy”, as one does), is a Navy kid, who at age 8 found herself living in a military base just outside of Tokyo thanks to her father’s assignment. Her mother “was definitely one of those moms that wanted her kids to try everything at least once”, Spear says, and thus found herself in a position she quickly realized she’d come to love: being in front of a camera. (Or audience, natch.)
Having to develop a new set of friends every 6 months as Spear’s military family moved around helped her build some of the key elements for a comedy career. “I would get myself into trouble…or at least enough to be likable,” Spear jokes, but admits that — given her focus on math and science “nerd schools” — she was never really cool. But being parachuted into new situations meant learning to read a new room (after new room), and any comic will tell you that if you can’t hack that, you’re going to have a very bad time on the stage in that room.
Given the nomadic past, it’s not surprising to see a change in Spear’s landing in Austin, where she’s had a conscious focus on “staying in one place for a long time” and putting down roots; she’s almost broken her previous record (currently held by Virginia). Her other roots — in the funny business — started well before her arrival here.
“I remember when I was in high school we had to do in my theater class…a very comedic monologue,” Spear recalls, and “that was the first time that I had ever experienced people laughing at something that I had said”. Despite having the feeling that “she could this”, her first time on stage happened at an open mic in a New York bar and, as often happens, was less than a stellar success. She went onstage with a sticky note and three hastily penned ideas, left with no laughs (and being roasted by the following comic), but immediately knew she loved it and “had to do it again”.
The lack of preparation and bombing turned a light on in Spear’s brain. “The more I bombed, the more I realized I needed the process,” she says of the hard work needed ahead of time to appear spontaneous on stage. (She notes the same lessons can be found in roller skating – another of her passions – presumably with more skinned knees.) That dedication to process shows up continually through her life, with Spear having earned a degree in marketing (in addition to all of the math and science schooling).
Since we’re sitting here today, it’s not a spoiler to say that it isn’t what ended up being her life’s work. Having been told that “women go into marketing”, she’d duly followed, but thankfully realized that it wasn’t her life’s goal. That led to a career switch in her mid-30’s, “like very well-adjusted people [do],” she jokes, noting also her time in art school and how it opened her eyes to the power of creativity.
All the lessons learned, each in their own way, have led Spear to the success she’s experiencing today. In addition to being a product UX/designer by day, she hosts _Texass Comedy,_ a queer- and non-binary focused showcase, running 2 years strong with no signs of stopping. “I don’t have plans to end it any time soon,” she says, and wants to get the showcase into festivals, with “hopefully a big future” for the show. In a state where inclusion has continued to be lacking (and the future looking less than rosy), Spear felt the conviction to do something to be part of the solution: “I wanted…to create these spaces. I wanted people to feel included.”
Spear also competed in Funniest Person in Austin this year, as well as performing in Lysistrata Comedy Festival, but there’s more in the books. “I’m represented!” Spear jokes, of having an agent, who has helped her book national commercials, among many other opportunities, some of which she jokes were “very silly little things”. Austin admittedly isn’t the best berg for movies, but that isn’t stopping Spear, who teases a “big audition” in LA in her near future, while also noting the many possibilities you can find (like background acting) if you keep your eyes open.
“It’s okay to fail and be bad at something,” Spear says, evincing her mother’s “do anything” spirit, “you’re allowed to make progress, appreciate that progress.” She again draws parallels between roller derby and performing: “Putting wheels on your feet and jumping into a concrete bowl is…insanity. Comedy is not easy. I mean, if all this stuff was easy…everyone would do it.”
No matter how “dark it gets”, Spear is dedicated to making it continue to happen: “I can’t imagine not being a comedian”. If you want a master class in getting back up again after you fall, check out some of Spear’s videos on Instagram, including a series composed of gnarly falls called The Daily Splat. The “Splats”, as she calls them, truly embody her focus, spirit, and relentless forward motion when pursuing something you love. When this year’s derby auditions pull to a close, we’re confident that we’ll get to see the debut of “Lucille Brawl”, Spear’s concrete-track alter ego.
Neither comedy nor derby are for the faint of heart, but Spear’s philosophy holds that you shouldn’t let that get in your way. “It’s okay when you fall,” Spear counsels, and we know that no matter what life throws at her, we’re going to see her jump up again every time, ready to make us laugh, and whipping past her competition.
Follow Sarah
- Website — www.thesarahspear.com
- Linktree — linktr.ee/spearsarah
- Twitter — @spearsarah
- Instagram
- Facebook — facebook.com/spearsarah
- TikTok — @sarah__supernova
- Do512 — do512.com/sarah-spear
- Discord — Sarah_in_space
Sarah can be seen and heard:
- TexAss Comedy — Twice a month rotating schedule at rotating venues (follow @texasscomedy on IG for updates)
- Campfire Comedy — Every 3rd Thursday, 8pm at Buzz Mill
- Gold Comedy Team Sketches — debut sketch (follow Gold Comedy on Youtube for more every 6 weeks)
Valerie Lopez
Richard Goodwin