Courtesy of Claire Brosseau

It’s been just over two months, and Claire Brosseau is already feeling the pangs of loneliness. A once boy-crazy comedian getting high off the thrill of dating has chosen to undergo a man-cleanse for 365 days (rules including no sex, no kissing, no flirting, no dates, etc.). Why the hell is she putting herself through this? We had to ask her ourselves.

Pony: What made you decide to start this challenge?

Claire: I’d been looking for a writing project for a long time, and I needed something to motivate me everyday. I’m 33, I feel like my career should be at a certain point by now – and it isn’t, I think, because of so much time focused on men. There are other things that are of more importance to me right now that need my undivided attention.

Pony: Do you think it’s harder at 33 to do this? As opposed to early 20′s?

Claire: In my 20′s I was certainly more boy-crazy, so I think I would have found it harder to ground myself. But now it’s more of a biological issue; I’d really like to have a baby. That’s the risk I’m willing to take in doing this.

Pony: What happens if you were to meet Mr. Right while on this challenge?

Claire: I do have this on-going crush that’s been reappearing on the blog, and he has no idea who he is; he’s exactly the ideal guy I’ve always gone for. But my dream boy never makes a good relationship. And that’s what I’m hoping to change in doing this – my perception on who Mr. Right is. He’s a comedian you see, they’re twisted individuals.

Courtesy of Claire Brosseau

Pony: It’s Eddie Della Siepe, isn’t it? How do you differentiate yourself from the women out there who are in this position unwillingly? Stuck in single-hood?

Claire: I’m a comedian, I’m used to being surrounded by men constantly. Shows, events, after-parties, everything. It’s so easy to get hookups out of that. We all understand each other, we have the same goals, the same dreams. It makes it that much easier to… well I wouldn’t say “date” per-say but definitely bone! It’s not hard to get a guy to sleep with you, but getting one to fall in love with you? That’s another story.

Pony: So this mysterious comedian-crush, what if the opposite were to come along and sweep you off your feet?

Claire: I guess we’ll see what happens. I don’t expect it to happen but if it does, he’s going to have to wait ten months. It’s just not an option for me right now. My tastes unfortunately haven’t changed, and I need to learn how to make myself happy before I contemplate who is right for me.

Pony: Speaking of making yourself happy, are you allowed to masterbate?

Claire: Yes. But it’ll never replace that feeling of being with someone else. Before this cleanse happened, I went through a nasty break-up, slept with a few comics, and was a bit of a mess. I hit sexual rock-bottom you could say. It’s like sleeping with a colleague, you see each other at the same clubs, the same shows, it gets really messy – but at the same time we all understand each other and aren’t intimidated by the idea that we might wind up as their material at some point.

Pony: Uh, ya that’s terrifying!

Claire: Well it’s always in good taste, I would never get up there and be like “I fucked Eddie Della Siepe last night” haha. But anyways, I guess the point in all this is to find out who I am as an individual. Deep down, I’ve known for a while who the right kind of guy is for me, but it’s how I’ve acted on it that needs to change. That’s what needs work right now.

Check in on Claire’s Manbbatical for daily updates on her life without men.

–Emma Farquharson