BECOMING a comedian didn't come easy for Ash Lieb. A sufferer of anxiety with the occasional experience of social phobia, the Ballarat artist often finds it difficult taking centre stage.
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"I couldn't even go into shops, specifically shops with no customers, where I'd be the centre of attention," he said.
Despite this, Lieb has managed to overcome his fears and pursue his love for comedy and the arts.
Having performed in front of crowds of hundreds of people, the comedian has recently released his first book Funny Guy.
The collection of jokes is a compilation of close to a thousand one-liners and humorous stories that have been in the works for over a year. It covers themes on family, philosophy, the media and animals.
"It's been a long time coming. I started writing jokes in my final year of high school back in 2000," he said.
Well known around Ballarat for his digital art exhibitions, Lieb said his style of humour was typically witty, surreal and absurd.
"As an artistic kind of person and an absurdist my humour can be a little out there sometimes," he said.
"They say that you should always think outside of the box, probably because it's so hard to get the lid back on once you're inside."
Ash Lieb's Funny Guy can be purchased online at Angus & Robertson, Fishpond, and Amazon.
