Conversations with the Inspiring Christie Buchele

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christie Buchele.

Christie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Hello! I am a Colorado native who started comedy in 2010 in Greeley, Colorado when I was attending UNC. Since then, I have moved to Denver and worked up the ranks of one of the best comedy scenes in the country. I am now a regular at Comedy Works and veteran of an ever-growing comedy scene. I am now teaching stand-up comedy at Voodoo Comedy Playhouse to continue working on my craft and encourage more women and minorities to join the ranks!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The one thing I wish I had learned sooner was to team up with other women and build each other up. It’s not that men cannot be supportive and wonderful colleagues but when I started comedy there were so few women and I had a bad habit of looking to men to validate that I was doing well and looking at other women as my competition. But I think it’s important to actually work together and look to each other for support and co-creators. Men often advance quicker because they team up and support each other. I want women to start harnessing that power. We’re the best. Let’s remind each other of that every day. If men want to join our parade, I would love that but it’s not really about you and your opinions on my art so just get used to that.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
Goodness. I hope I am known for being funny. But I would say that I most known for being a comic that talks about my disability. I think the main focus of my material is to encourage people to stop looking at people with disabilities as “inspirational” for just getting out of bed or leaving the house. We are just people with dreams and goals like everyone else and I am not here to be your inspiration porn. I think it’s important we start breaking those stereotypes. Did you hear about the woman who won the Tony who was also in a wheelchair?? I want to get to a point in the world where that is not news. It should not be surprising to people that individuals with disabilities didn’t lay down and accept less for themselves because of their circumstances. I hope I get people out of that mode of thinking with my comedy.

For good reason, society often focuses more on the problems rather than the opportunities that exist, because the problems need to be solved. However, we’d probably also benefit from looking for and recognizing the opportunities that women are better positioned to capitalize on. Have you discovered such opportunities?
I feel very grateful to the women who came before me to pave a way in this business. They truly were the trailblazers. I feel so lucky to be doing comedy at this moment in time. Sure, there is still sexism but I see for the most part people trying to challenge those old ways of thinking with their booking practices, with casting, and with diversity in shows and so I believe that women who work hard have many opportunities for the taking. There is still so much work to be done but it’s better than its ever been and I think the pendulum is going to swing really far in my lifetime and I am happy to do the pushing. There are only two jobs in comedy. The comedian and the audience. If you don’t want to be a comic than be an audience member and actively support female headliners and female run shows. This is how we create more work and revenue behind women and comedy and that’s what creates the elbow room for more women and more content by women.

Contact Info:

• Website: Christiebuchele.rocks
• Email: christiebuchele@gmail.com
• Instagram: @cabuchsy
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/cbuchele
• Twitter: @cabuchsy

Image Credit:
The first image is Andrew Bray, most are selfies but the green shirt and the cute jacket photos are From The Hip Photography.

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