She’s gotten Brooklyn to make some noise — and plenty of laughter. Now, the Park Slope comedian Claire Berger is here to make you think, and perhaps to inspire your next career move
.Last month, the comedian and improvisational actress released her first book, the self-published “How Much Is Enough? Getting More By Living With Less,” shedding light (and getting laughs) on topics running the gamut from humor as a coping strategy to interpersonal connections and finding fulfillment.
Starting her career at the famed Second City comedy club in Chicago, Berger has spent the past four-plus decades honing and refining her craft.
“My work in comedy grew from a need to have some control over my career,” she said. “As an actor, you are at the whim of casting directors who may or may not hire you. Writing my own act and booking myself in clubs and colleges across the country gave me a huge leg up, and a positive identity as a female stand-up and a warm-up comic for sitcoms.”
The idea for Berger’s new book came to her as she swam laps in a pool at her neighborhood YMCA in March 2021. Pandemic safety protocols required that, after 30 minutes of swimming, you hop out and give another swimmer the lane. Once the rules were lifted, swimmers could swim as long as they wanted, but Berger remained content with that 30-minute workout.
“When I started to question if 30 minutes was indeed enough exercise, I reflected on all the other aspects of life where I also questioned, ‘how much is enough?’” she recalled.
Berger began to discuss the concept of “enough” with others and realized this is a word everyone imposes upon themselves in a range of arenas “without even realizing the self-judgment that accompanies it,” said Berger. “I questioned whether this is a positive, constructive inner dialogue or negative, shaming self-talk.”
Thus, the rabbit hole of research, countless discussions with other people and “ruthless” self-reflection commenced, and her book began to take shape. Berger ultimately settled on 22 topics including family, education, success and food, each relating to our quest for “enough,” rounded out with thought-provoking questions and self-reflection exercises.
So, how can you use Berger’s hard-won wisdom in your own life? For one thing, she feels passionately that improvisational comedy training should be part of the core curriculum for everyone, regardless of your profession.
“To gain the confidence of thinking on your feet, working as a team and subscribing to the ‘Yes, and …’ improv rule will greatly enhance your life, personally and professionally,” she said. (The “yes, and …” rubric asks improvisers to accept what another improviser has said and then build on it with their response.)
Maintaining this mental framework will also help you from getting stuck at work. “Career pivots are not only possible, they are probable, so stay open and receptive to change,” said Berger, mentioning that she’s held close to 100 jobs in her career and that many of them informed her book’s musings.
“Nothing lasts forever, and as any successful freelancer knows, your current job is actually the coffee break for your actual job, which is looking for the next job, and the one after that,” said Berger. “If I represent anything to my kids, it’s that reinvention is beautiful, invigorating and life-expanding.”
Over the years, Berger has also learned firsthand “the importance of creating your own opportunities,” having worked as a “humor consultant” for businesses in search of new ways to have fun while getting the job done. She’s created productive humor for everyone from matrimonial attorneys to medical professionals, luxury hoteliers and even Nevada coal miners.
Over the years, Berger has often been asked to talk to aspiring comics, bringing a strong ability to laugh at herself to vocational questions. “I first ask them if there is anything else they could think of besides comedy to do for a living. If they said ‘yes,’ I would strongly encourage them to do that thing; anything but comedy,” she said. “I loved every twist and turn in my comedy career, but it’s not for the weak, the undisciplined or those who can’t handle rejection.”
