Happy New Year! 🎉I’m walking into this new year with a full heart and one big feeling: gratitude . If you’ve been to a show, shared a clip, sent a kind message, or even just followed along quietly—thank you. Truly. Comedy is such a strange little job (standing alone under a spotlight, trying to turn real life into laughs), and it only works because people choose to show up. This past year reminded me of something I keep learning over and over: community is everything . I’m g

I love writing jokes.But rewriting? I LOVE rewriting. Rewriting is where the joke finally tells you what it wants to be.It ’s where you cut the polite parts, tighten the timing, and find the real laugh hiding underneath. Writing is exciting.Rewriting is satisfying. Rewriting means you cared enough to stay with the joke.To listen.To make it better. Teaching stand-up lately has reminded me of that. Watching a joke go from almost funny to ohhh THAT’S it is magic. Rewrite.Cu

Lately, I’ve been feeling extra thankful — like my whole heart is wrapped in a cozy gratitude blanket. Maybe it’s the season, maybe it’s the chaos of my schedule, or maybe it’s that everything I love — comedy, teaching, stationery, community — somehow came together this year in the most magical way. Whatever it is… I am so lucky .And I am so, so grateful . I’m grateful for every show, every opportunity, every mic, every class.For SF Sketchfest.For Comedy InvAsian.For Rosie Tr

I’ve been teaching a stand-up comedy class at the community center these past few weeks, and OMG — it has been amazing ! There’s something so special about watching people discover their funny. The moment they find a punchline… the moment a joke suddenly clicks… the moment they make the whole room laugh for the first time — I get to witness all of it up close. And here’s something I didn’t expect:Teaching this class made me realize how much I LOVE rewriting jokes . I already

OMG!!! Big news — I’m going to SF Sketchfest! 🤩I’ll be performing on the Stand-Up Showcase at The Lost Church , and I still can’t believe it. SF Sketchfest is where so many incredible comedians have stepped onstage — and now I get to be part of it! When I started stand-up, I didn’t even know what “stand-up comedy” was . (Honestly, I thought it was like karaoke but with opinions.) And now… I’m headed to SF Sketchfest. Life is wild. AND it gets even bigger:This February , I’m

My Stationerycation is officially over — and I’m back to “normal life.” (If performing comedy and organizing stationery festivals count as normal!) A few days before the Pop-Up, I had the honor of performing with Daisuke Muramoto in West LA. His set was incredible — sharp, fearless, and full of heart. Watching him reminded me why I started doing comedy in the first place. It reignited my dream of one day performing at Madison Square Garden . (Yes, I said it out loud — mani

I’m back at it — organizing another Pen Paper Palooza Pop-Up this weekend on Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice! 🎉 Yes… I quit my job at a stationery company to focus on comedy — and somehow ended up creating the West Coast’s first stationery festival . Life is funny like that. Literally. This Pop-Up is a smaller, cozier version of the big festival — but packed with just as much creativity (and probably more washi tape). All our vendors are amazing local artists — mostly women-o

I’m so excited — I’m teaching a Stand-Up Comedy class at Conejo Recreation & Park District in Newbury Park, starting November 9! 🎉 I’ve taught comedy workshops at Second City Hollywood and improv at Conejo Valley Adult School, but this one feels extra special — because they reached out to me to teach this class in my neighborhood! When I first started stand-up, I didn’t even know what stand-up was. Now I get to help new comics (and the secretly funny people who don’t know it

Hi! I’m Michelle MaliZaki — the 17th Wonder of Japan! (At least in my mind. The first 16 are all Hello Kitty.) When I started stand-up comedy… that’s actually when I learned what stand-up comedy was. I didn’t grow up with it. In Japan, we have manzai — two comedians talking fast and yelling at each other. But one person, standing alone with a microphone, talking about their life? That was new to me. When I began, everyone kept saying, “You need a tight five.” I was like, “W

Are you in the mood for some laughter and cultural insights? Look no further than the comedic stylings of Michelle MaliZaki. This...