The secret system behind George Carlin's comedy genius

I spent a few dozen hours reading books and listening to comedy shows about one of my creative heroes: George Carlin. His autobiography Last Words is particularly good. Carlin’s cutting observations about daily life are still fascinating and prescient. Here’s what he said about creating:.

Carlin didn’t separate life and creating. Everything he did — watching TV, walking, driving — was a chance to find something he found ridiculous or enraging.

Every day, he worked on his ideas, refined them, and rewrote them. His material went through dozens of rewrites on legal pads, as typed-up manuscripts, and later as bits he performed and honed in front of a crowd.

One example? His famous bit about Seven Dirty Words started out as a listicle that he turned into a routine, which he’d get cancelled for today.

(Go ahead and look that bit up… I’ll wait)

Throughout his career, Carlin relied on a creative system. He created categories, cross-references, and thematic links that allowed him to pull together unrelated observations into cohesive routines. That’s why his comedy sounds so spontaneous and well-crafted.

After Carlin died in 2008, his daughter Kelly found not but THREE packed storage units that were packed full of notes, observations, and bits for his comedy routines.

The National Comedy Centre acquired all of Carlin’s notes after his death. His estate archivist believes Carlin learned early, “A good idea is not of any use if you can’t find it.”

Carlin is just one example of a creative who relied on a system for managing his notes, ideas, and research.

These days, I’m still surprised that creators don’t bother with any of this. Perhaps because writing down what you think about something is more work than asking ChatGPT to explain it.

These armchair creators claim that we have AI. And we sure do. ChatGPT and Claude can spit out thousands of words faster than anyone can type. But the results are often boring and clichéd. I can spot clichéd AI content a mile off.

AI is helpful, but it’s also responsible for a lot of boring slop nobody wants.

A good idea with a distinct voice–YOUR VOICE–is all the more valuable. That’s how your work will stand out. You need a system to do it. Tomorrow, I’ll tell you more.