Hannah Berner’s Secret Is That She Makes Us Feel Less Alone (Plus: 7 Takeaways for Traversing a Rock Bottom)
Sunday, August 4th, 2024
Written by Casey Balon for The Artist’s Lens Collection.
Hannah Berner, Netflix
“Beauty is the woman in the room who is comfortable in her skin.”
We Ride at Dawn—Hannah Berner’s inaugural Netflix special—does something spectacular, something we have yet to witness in the stand-up comedy space: She centers the feminine experience while using the vehicle of girly pop vernacular.
In an age where the ultimate playbook and advice on everything from whole body health to beauty and creativity is continuously trending, she offers a subtle sanctuary for her audience (and those who get it, get it).
Written by Casey Balon
(click here to read about her)
Article 06 of The Artist’s Lens collection.
What we are covering in this article:
*click below to navigate directly to the section you wish to read, or continue with the story as you were
1. When things move fast: an artful story (Hannah Berner’s We Ride at Dawn invites us into the banter inside the women’s locker room)
2. Discovering the perfect wave (rewriting outdated champion narratives)
3. The podcaster-comedian faces her biggest fear (trusting the pivot, pouring yourself into a new direction, the importance of community)
4. 7 takeaways for traversing a rock bottom phase (creating momentum for your realignment)
5. Article Break (receive our articles straight to your inbox)
6. Let’s get physical (taking massive action in a focused direction)
7. Our Bookshop (shop our ever-growing selection of books for creatives)
8. The resources we deliver at Casey Jacque (essays on whole body health, creative career building, creative direction, intentional travel, sustainable living, love and relating, and more)
When things move fast—an artful story:
The women’s locker room, an artful story.
Berner describes her set as “the girls’ locker room”—and it’s resonating. Since its debut on July 9th, the Netflix special has been in the platform’s Top 10. (Right now, it’s sitting at #3.)
“Things move fast once you find something you enjoy,” she shared on a recent podcast, Gals On The Go.
Take one look at Berner’s trajectory over the past few years, and you’ll see an artful story—one that teaches us that you don’t have to be a ‘perfect energetic match’ to bring your dreams to life, but you do have to understand how to ride the wave of an intense rock bottom.
Discovering the perfect wave:
Rewriting outdated champion narratives.
“When you’re surfing, you know when you’re trying to find the right wave and it’s just not working, and then you find the right wave and it becomes easier? I thought with life—if I wanted to be successful—that I had to be torturing myself, working so hard, being miserable (because that’s ‘how champions are made;’ it’s a very sports mindset), and then I was like wait: it’s a cheat code that you can do what you like, be nice to yourself, and good things can happen.”
The podcaster-comedian faces her biggest fear:
Trusting the painful pivot, pouring yourself into a new direction. (And the importance of community.)
The podcaster-comedian shares that one of her biggest fears is being misunderstood, and before her career skyrocketed, that’s exactly what she experienced.
During a challenging final year and exit from the Bravo reality show Summer House, Berner got a taste of what it feels like to be publicly ostracized and discredited. Instead of letting the whirlwind take her down, she trusted the painful pivot and began pouring herself into a new direction.
Three years later, the performer is absolutely flourishing—she recently got married, her career is thriving, and she has cultivated the most incredible creative support system. The way she navigated the toughest season of her life highlights a clear lesson: Even in the most difficult and seemingly isolating phases of life, it’s never ‘you against the world, it’s still ‘you within community.’
7 takeaways for traversing a rock bottom phase:
Creating momentum for your realignment.
Drawn from Berner’s experience, here are *7 takeaways* for traversing a rock bottom phase, and using it to create momentum for your realignment:
1. Don’t: Desperately try to clear your name or recover by proving your innocence.
Do: Take the highroad by redirecting your focus and intention.
2. Don’t: Buy into the belief that your mental health has to be perfect for you to be worthy of creating big things.
Do: Give yourself what you need when you feel ‘raw & naked’ AND allow yourself to keep moving as you feel.
3. Don’t: Read the comments or buy into the hype, especially as a sensitive girly (the power you give to those who build you up is the same power you’ll give to those who attempt to tear you down).
Do: Focus on creating & vibrantly expressing.
4. Don’t: Try to juggle pleasing everyone.
Do: Lean into what you’re good at. Be ok with acknowledging that you really do care what people think, humble yourself to see your mistakes, & shift your behaviour as you go.
5. Don’t: Ice everyone out or retreat into hibernation forever. (It’s one thing to bravely descend & grieve; it’s an entirely different thing to get comfy there.)
Do: Invest your time, energy, & trust into your intimate circle of people, which begins with *you*. Know that, no matter what is happening on the larger scale, you will inevitably receive support from a growing web of people as you evolve—through, up, & out—of the experience.
Article Break:
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Let’s get physical:
Taking massive action in a focused direction.
6. Don’t: Keep pushing (or trying to force the same path) when life is attempting to redirect you.
Do: Listen to the pivot, go all in on your curiosity, make changes, & take massive action in a focused direction.
7. Don’t: Overcomplicate the simple stuff.
Do: Move your body. Be physical. Go to therapy when it feels supportive of your process. Do the inner work. And, as the comedian often recites, “Let go and Let God.”
At Casey Jacque, we deliver valuable resources on the topics of whole body health, creative career building, creative direction, intentional travel, sustainable living, love and relating, and more.
Join our team of in-house experts (and guest writers) as we publish fresh articles, inspiring monthly playlists, and innovative multimedia content each week:
Article Written by Casey Balon, Editorial Director of Casey Jacque
Casey is a writer & creative director based outside of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. With a heart for literary journalism, an appetite for adventure, and a spark for creating dynamic — and deeply collaborative — environments, her aim is to bring genuine voices back to the creative table. When she’s not carrying out an interview, or writing about creative vitality through the lens of the body, you can find her hiking with her dogs, regenerating with her fiancé, diving deep with dear friends, or exploring a new place.
Let’s Connect: Instagram @iamcaseybalon, e-mail casey@caseyjacque.com
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