Travel a 'light-hearted journey through depression' with Jessica Holmes

Even though she was an established comedy actor with the Royal Canadian Air Farce and her own comedy series, The Holmes Show, under her belt, Jessica Holmes says “a career in comedy always seemed too good to be true.” It wasn’t until a colleague told her to accept the fact that she was a full-time comedian that it actually sunk in.

Sort of.

“I still pinch myself the odd time, because it was beyond my childhood dreams to be up there getting laughs,” Holmes told SooToday in a recent interview.

Holmes will be in Sault Ste. Marie this weekend as part of the WTF Comedy Festival “up there getting laughs” during the WTF Feature Variety Show at the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre.

But comedy wasn’t always a fist full of chuckles for Holmes who also spends time as a mental health awareness advocate after struggling with her own depression. Dedicated to a career with so many highs and lows may not be the right choice for someone with depression, Holmes told her psychiatrist when she was first diagnosed.

“But instead of throwing out the baby with the bathwater (such a weird expression!), we found a way that my life could have meaning and stability regardless of whether my career was booming or lulling,” she told us. “In my book Depression The Comedy, I talk about how I started writing, jogging and socializing every day, and that's the anchor I need as the backdrop for this career.”

And, obviously, she’s not shy about the challenges in her life having written two books on the issue – I Love Your Laugh: Finding the Light in My Screwball Life and the aforementioned Depression The Comedy: A Tale of Perseverance – as well as presenting herself as a motivational speaker. Her website also features Holmes’ Healthy Five video series highlighting some of her favourite exercises and healthy recipes.

In addition to opening for Oprah Winfrey, Holmes told SooToday the proudest moment of her career thus far is the publication of Depression The Comedy because she is “using life's lemons to validate others. It's like we say in this biz: tragedy + time = comedy.” And she got into writing in the first place because “my inner muse just decided that's all she'd let me do.”

“Every time I'd sit down to write jokes, I just felt pulled to write about my oddball childhood being raised by a Mormon dad and an agnostic feminist mom (yes they're still married!),” Holmes explained. “The second book I wrote specifically because I was really passionate about giving people a light-hearted journey through depression and its relationship to comedy. I had more invested emotionally in the second, and have been so grateful to get positive feedback from people who feel it validated their own mental health journey.”

Sault comedy fans are invited to join Jessica Holmes as she shares the stage with K. Trevor Wilson, The Doo Wops, Women Fully Clothed, David Merry, and Gina Lola-International-Bridgida Saturday night during the WTF Feature Variety Show at the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre. Show time is 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 each and may be purchased online or by calling 1-800-461-6020.

The inaugural WTF Comedy Festival kicked off this week and continues Friday afternoon with the Broadfoot Awards Luncheon at the Machine Shop featuring award recipients Luba Goy and K. Trevor Wilson. One of Canada’s shining comedy stars, Russell Peters, will be at the Essar Centre Friday night and Murder on the Agawa Express takes place Saturday. The festival also features late night comedy performances from Darren Frost and Kenny Robinson.

For full WTF Comedy Festival details, including events and tickets, please click here.