E012 Sandy MacFarlane Stand-up Comedy and Mental Health

Let’s Be Well Together Podcast – Episode 12
Date: April 19, 2022

Participants: John Webster, Sammy Damaren, Cameron Earnshaw and Sheila Webster
Guest: Alex “Sandy” MacFarlane (from the Rusty Nail Comedy Club, which runs regular comedy shows at Crazy Canuck Restaurant in Kitchener, Ontario)

Start times and Segment Segments:

[0:00:19] What’s On Your Mind: Sheila continues her interview of Sammy, as part of getting to know Sammy. We hear about uni days and some of Sammy’s travels.

[0:12:27] Expanding Minds Interview: [Artistic Wellness] We interview stand-up comedian and founder of Rusty Nail Comedy Club, Alex “Sandy” MacFarlane. Art as an important source of wellness and stand-up comedy is an amazing form of art. Sandy provides general info about stand-up and talks about a connection to mental health.

[0:30:21] Adventures of the Starving Artist: Spring has sprung for Cameron, with a sense of rejuvenation. Cameron noticed a trend between music preference and times of year.

[0:34:24] Move That Body: John had luck losing weight by not working out (at the start of a period of weight loss). That’s counter intuitive. How did that work for him?

[0:41:54] Running Popup: John’s Run Kitchener Project.

[0:44:57] Flipside of the Coin: Sheila and John muse about starting a life board.

Guest Information: Alex MacFarlane goes by Sandy in comedy. He got into comedy when a friend suggested he try it at a stand-up competition at London Ontario Yuk Yuk's. Sandy won and was invited back to open for the Yuk headliners that weekend. After years of travelling for comedy, Alex started producing shows in his home town Kitchener Waterloo and Rusty Nail Comedy was born. Rusty Nail produces comedy shows all over Southern Ontario but mainly in venues thorough out Waterloo region. In August 2020 Rusty Nail found a home at The Crazy Canuck restaurant in downtown Kitchener.  Every Friday & Saturday night The Crazy Canuck turns into Rusty Nail Comedy Club, Waterloo Regions only comedy club. Rusty Nail Comedy's philosophy is "comedy will save the world" (a quote from Jean Paul).

Rusty Nail Comedy Website: https://www.rustynailcomedy.com
Rusty Nail Comedy Instagram: @rustynailcomedy
Crazy Canuck Restaurant Website: http://www.thecrazycanuck.ca
Crazy Canuck Restaurant Instagram: @crazy_canuck_restauranteh

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Thanks for joining us,
(-(-_(-_-)_-)-) Your wellness check-in team
John, Sammy, Cameron, Sheila and Julie