We had the good fortune of connecting with Ian Aber and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ian, why did you pursue a creative career?
I spent a long time in corporate jobs where I was always being told I was funny, most often when I was trying to be serious. I finally decided to try stand up comedy to sort of prove the folks that said I was funny wrong. Turns out they were right and I am funny so that started my shift from corporate life to pursuing comedy full time.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a stand-up comedian so I tend not to think of what I do as art in the moment but it definitely is a craft that has to honed over time. Stand-up combines great writing, superb delivery, and a certain level of relatability to the audience to really work. The best stand-ups sound like they are just talking to the audience rather than performing a joke and that takes hours and hours of work behind the scenes to perfect. I am in my tenth year of stand up this year and just seeing the results of all the years I’ve put in working on my act and am proud of what I have accomplished in Atlanta and nationally.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
A must is the Laughing Skull Lounge. It is a small intimate venue and the best place to see live comedy in the city without question. Laughing Skull features the best comedians in Atlanta and beyond nightly. Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shoutout to all the folks at Project Q Atlanta that have supported and covered all my comedy endeavors since the beginning of my comedy career. They are an invaluable resource for news in general about the queer community but they definitely prioritize promoting queer artists and their pursuits.

Website: www.comedyian.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abearcomedian/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ABearComedian

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iaber

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh8tyjnvAccyY4AI9dWjTUg

Image Credits
1. unknown 2. lola scott 3. Jon Dean 4 Ed Dinzole design

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlana is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.