He married at 22 and divorced at 28 after his wife had an affair, which he depicted in his show Crashing. He has since married Valerie Chaney in late 2017, and they had a son in September 2018.
Evolution of his Christianity
Pete comes from a very religious family and was a youth pastor, as well as performing stand-up comedy in the Christian comedy circuit. His faith has since evolved and he refers to himself as “Christ-leaning.”
Podcasting to overcome narcissism
Pete started his podcast (in part) to work through some of his own personal issues, namely narcissism. A girlfriend at the time had confronted him about the fact that was narcissistic and he took it to heart.
Question: Hi Petey Pants! First, I wanted to say thank you for the amount of joy you bring to my existence. Nothing makes me laugh more than re-listening to you and Bert Kreisher belt out some Celine and Kesha. I actually signed my divorce papers this Friday and watching Crashing last night, well, it put everything into perspective. I just wanted to know how you stayed positive after the big D?
Answer: that's a big one. you have to allow yourself to grieve and process that heartbreak. and it may be quick and it may be long. but allow it and love yourself through it. it's normal and you'll be okay. dive in.
then, slowly you'll see that every moment is a new opportunity to start again. we ar...
no, but that's what it felt like! really she took me to dinner, got my a glass of wine or two and then told me on the bed, where we had all our serious talks. yikes. this one is sad. BONERS!!! BONERS ON CLOWNS!!
i think what's weird is that i don't think it's weird! i just did WTF with Maron today (a short talk) and was like I KNOW YOU BETTER THAN YOU KNOW! so i get it. i like that with fans we can cut to the good stuff, the personal stuff and just laugh.
Falling Upward by Richard Rohr Everything Belongs by RR Love Wins by Rob Bell What We Talk About by Rob Bell Be Here Now by Ram Dass Grist for the Mill by Ram Dass The Lazy Man's Guide to Enlightenment by Golas The Power of Myth (the book) by Joseph Campbell and Richard Moyers
we're only not silly or fun or joyful when we're not locked into and tuned into the moment! when we can put aside our anxieties and fears and problems for a second, we can see silliness was there all along, just waiting for you to bounce the ball with it!
i like what ramana maharshi said when he was dying: "Where could I go?" the question isn't what happens when we die, it's "Who is dying?" The universe certainly seems to be into recycling, so while i don't think my ego makes it persay, i think our essence isn't going anywhere!
i would use that money to maybe produce shows and perform as much as possible. reading books by Keith Johnstone or Del Close could give you some theory, but nothing will teach you like the stage and performing as much as you can! Watch great improv, it will help you do great improv. Maybe take the team to chicago for a few shows? That will be hugely helpful! Good luck
1 get on stage as much as you can 2 do the comedy that would make YOU laugh 3 ask yourself WHEN would i laugh if i was listening to myself? if the answer is "i don't know" then neither will the audience 4 hang with people who don't tear you down or break your spirit 5 listen to the greats, let them influence you, then shed them when you find your voice 6 don't be a dick!
Writing a script is different because you have to write from different perspectives other than your own. I had to write lines for my fictional wife, Leif, Artie [characters in his HBO show Crashing]... you have to imagine more than just your own opinions. A very good excercise just in general!
the buddha (the story goes) just sat in a comfortable, seated position, straight back, and focused on his breath. the feeling of air going in, the feeling of air going out. if you have thoughts, send them love but go back to the breath. it's all in the going back. do that for 10, 15, 30 minutes! it's great in the morning or before bed. or before a party you're too anxious to go into.
i spend the 30 minute drive to meltdown just thinking about the guest and how i want it to go. picture them laughing, myself listening, us connecting. a little visualization. then a quick Wiki search, three Alpha Brain (for real, not a plug -- www.alphabrain.com/weird) and ONE sip of coffee.
the buddha said, when you're looking for water, don't dig six one foot wells, dig ONE six foot well. so, pick a practice and stick to it until it's time to shed it. i love Buddhism, Sufi, all that, but really my MAN is Ram Dass who calls himself a Christ Loving Hin-Jew!
it all comes in seasons and waves. the best we can hope it when we are called on, we are in a creative season! and if we're not, sometimes that panic of a deadline is enough to snap me out of it. but it's all self love. if youre blocked, love youself anyway. it's a better strategy and will make it go away faster than being hard on yourself. take a nap! take a walk! take a drive! watch a movie! it's all writing. just in your subconscious
stay where you are until you're PRETTY sure you're one of the best. THEN move when you're 90% sure you should move. it will always be scary, but that's the whole game. you do things JUST AS you think you MIGHT be ready... if you wait until they ask you to come it will never happen. be bold! believe in yourself! but listen to what comedy is saying back to you, your path could be a multitiude of things.
i think men are scared of giving the authority to women to make them laugh. it's a powerful position and sometimes my gender can be a little backwards when it comes to giving women a chance at driving the car, so to speak. but anyone who says women aren't funny needs to watch Natasha Leggero, Maria Bamford, Sarah Silverman and countless others.
I think there’s something wonderful about capturing somebody as talented and as insightful and even ultimately struggling as Harris. That’s one of the human things that makes technology not just Candy Crush while you’re waiting for your coffee. It’s different than reading an interview because you’re not feeling the pauses. People listen to podcasts in their bed or their car or at work - it’s very intimate to have earbuds in and have this voice running through your head. There’s something that can be human and even soulful about it - we start to get a very intimate and complete picture of a person. Memory can’t really be trusted and autobiographies have glaring omissions. It’s nice to be like...
Pete Holmes