I'd Like to Play Alone, Please

by Tom Segura

I believe we all control our own destiny, and if you put something out in the universe with love and good intentions, some version of what you’re looking for will come to you.

Use what you have. That’s the real lesson. If you have looks, exploit those to your advantage. If you’re big and strong, intimidate people and maybe physically assault them if you need to. Me? I’m going to talk shit if you press me. Sometimes I’ll come up short, sometimes I’ll go too far. But sometimes, like in the classroom that day, I’ll fuckin’ nail it.

“When it comes to art, greatness is not subjective. Greatness is undeniable.”

I’m really not special. I wasn’t chosen, and I didn’t have a team of tastemakers behind me making my dreams happen. I made them happen, and you can make yours happen too. I mean it. If you’re a comedian, writer, actor, painter, director, dancer, or any other type of artist, you can make your dreams happen. You can have the career and the life that you dream of.

You have to know you are meant to do your craft and you have to act. You have to write, dance, paint, get onstage, express yourself however you feel compelled to, and you have to take a chance on yourself.

But I need to be able to say, “I gotta go,” sometimes without warning when I need some time to myself. It’s just the way I am. Luckily for me, I have built an ecosystem around myself that supports this.

We can definitely be friends, but when I need some space you’re going to have to give it to me. If you don’t, well, we’re not going to be friends.