I saw this diagram on Twitter recently and thought it made a lot of sense. I did a breakdown for myself regarding comedy.
1. Do I love comedy? Yes! It's probably my favorite thing to do. So far so good.
2. Are you good at it? Yes! Check the proof: https://youtu.be/4nnJGdIkGfE
3. Can you be paid for it? The plot thickens. Yes. Clubs pay but not that much. Generally you get $50 for hosting a show and $100 for featuring. If you are headlining you get a cut of the door. But still, it's not enough to make an awesome living. Corporate gigs can pay a lot of money. You can get $5000 for a corporate holiday party if you play your cards right. Performing in theaters is the key but you have to have a *gasp* following that will come out and support your live shows. So yes, you can get paid but it's nebulous.
4. Does the world need it? Even thicker. Laughter does provide a release from tension. So does all entertainment. The goal of entertainment is to make people forget for a little while. So how does comedy do this differently than music? I think comedy is more immediate. To get someone to laugh you have to get them to understand what you are saying. There is a feeling of connecting to the audience. So I think what comedy does is help people feel more immediately connected to each other. Now the issue is what type of comedy is needed. Louis CK hit it big when he started talking about how he loves his kids but he also hates them everyday. The world needed someone to come out and say that. So I guess the question now is, what needs to be said in comedy?