We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alina Siddiqui a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Alina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?
The year was 2020, and the world had collectively paused due to the outbreak of COVID-19. In the middle of whipping Dalgona coffee and baking banana bread to pass time, I heard psychologist, Dr. Edith Eger, say in a podcast, “It takes courage to be average,” and it changed my life. You see, up until then, my personal narrative was, “I am good at everything I do.” I was always a high achiever. I was the first in my family to earn a graduate degree. When I decided I wanted to be a marriage and family therapist, I became one. Then, I was hired as a tenure-track counseling faculty at a reputable college and was one of the youngest members on the team. Like I said, everything. But after hearing Dr. Edith Eger’s podcast, I paused. Maybe I only pursue things I know I will be good at, leaving little to no space for creativity, passion, discovery, and ultimately fun. Remember fun? So, I signed up for a comedy writing class at the local comedy club.
I call standup comedy a hobby and boy does that rub other comedians the wrong way. In my second month doing comedy, one comic said to me, “Well if its just a hobby for you, why don’t you step out of the way for the rest of us who are trying to do it seriously,” and my response to him was, “You don’t know how I go about my hobbies.” I call standup comedy a hobby not due to a lack of commitment or effort, but because of the joy it brings me without the pressure of financial gains. I save that pressure for my day job. That’s one of the reasons why starting comedy after establishing a primary career was ideal for me because I needed the financial security to allow myself to have fun and try something new (a.k.a., the immigrant mindset). I didn’t plan it that way, but that’s how it happened. Now, 5 years later I am absolutely in love with the craft, and my hobby has become a part of my identity.
PS. that same comic who asked me to step out of the way, is now my comedy writing partner and most recently was the “best bro” at my wedding.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
Being in the creative space has taught me to have faith and enjoy the journey. Unlike other endeavors, comedy doesn’t have certifications or degrees that will elevate me to the next milestone (trust me, I checked), neither has rigid goal setting or aggressive networking brought me any luck. Instead, all of my biggest opportunities have come to me organically. So, I had to learn to just focus on my craft, and leave space for divine intervention. That looks like writing every day and performing every week, so when the next big show comes along, I am ready. I have also learned to enjoy myself on stage. A very recent discovery if I am being honest. Previously I would get on stage with the mindset of, “These are the jokes, and I will tell these jokes,” nothing more, nothing less. Now when I get on stage I tell myself, “I am going to have fun, and God’s with me.”
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
One of the most rewarding aspect of being a creative for me is the access to spaces and people. Comedy is a universal language, which means I can go to any city and find a microphone and an audience. So now when I travel for work or pleasure, I make sure I have some comedy gigs lined up as well. So far outside of Florida, I have performed in New York, San Francisco, New Orleans, Washington D.C., and Toronto (CAN), and I can’t wait to see where else comedy will take me.
Comedy has also been a conduit to meeting and working with some of my personal icons, like Maria Bamford, Atsuko Okatsuka, Monet Xchange and Alok.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @alina.comedy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alina.siddiqui.14/
- Other: TikTok: @alina.comedy
Image Credits
Shauna Hundeby