When Cullen Ryan moved to Eau Claire in 2012 with his wife and two young children, he had been doing stand up comedy for roughly two or three years. It was then he started attending open mic nights at The Plus in downtown Eau Claire. Although there were other places in town hosting regular open mics, The Plus became a quick favorite.

When Cullen started performing stand-up comedy his goal was to make it a career, work the road, become a featured act, and then eventually a headliner full time. However, life had different plans. When his daughter was diagnosed with autism at age 2, he knew that his goal needed to change. “It was like a switch went off in my head in the doctor's office,” he said. In bed the night after receiving his daughter’s diagnosis, he realized what he had to do. If he couldn’t travel the world to do comedy, he would bring the best comedy he could to where he lived.

This realization was the catalyst for what became Clear Water Comedy, a collective of local comedians who book and produce their own shows, Cullen admits he could not have done it alone. He explained his simple strategy that anyone can follow if they’re trying to build a community: “Meet other people like you, hang out with them, talk to them, and learn from them.”

In the years since, the local comedy scene, and Clear Water Comedy, have grown to the point they have become mainstays. In 2015, Clear Water Comedy began its own weekly show. “This is 10 years, 10 years of hard work and showing up every day to try and make it slightly better. Being funny almost has nothing to do with it,” Cullen said. “I think we’re really building something that is special, unique, and defined by the people who join in on this constantly changing thing.”

Many different comedians have come and gone over years, but Cullen still remains at the center of the Chippewa Valley’s comedy scene, waiting for whatever – and whoever – comes next. “I’m still excited because I have no idea what to expect, and it’s whatever it’s going to be,” he said. “I’m going to be here to learn from it and try to make it better.”

“Whatever it’s going to be” has become something of a mantra for Clear Water Comedy. While it is common to have national headliners stop by big cities like Minneapolis, it is rare for a city the size of Eau Claire to garner those types of acts. After nurturing, guiding, and empowering the local scene, Clear Water Comedy has drawn talent regionally from the Twin Cities, Madison, and La Crosse areas, as well as national comedy talent and entertainment from hubs like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Comedians who came here before they were a “big deal,” when they were earning their stripes on the road, have chosen to come back because of how much they like our community. Then, Cullen explained, those big headliners talk to their talented friends about how much they like the comedy scene here, creating a cycle of high-level talent going out of their way to perform in our town.

In addition to his pivotal role in Clear Water Comedy, Cullen is constantly booking diverse musical acts at The Plus as the venue’s event coordinator.

“Art saves lives, it really does,” Cullen shared. “It’s the best way to communicate with people. It’s how you grow empathy. It’s how you learn what other people are going through which is the most important thing. We’re all here together, and it’s so tragic and magical, and wonderful. The more time we get to know each other and feel better, the better the world is going to be.”

Over more than a decade in the Chippewa Valley, Cullen has managed to create and empower a community of like-minded artists who are passionate about creating a space for audiences to forget about the real world for a while and laugh together. “Laughter is love,” he said, “and love is the most powerful force in the universe.”