We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Gena B. Jones. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Gena B. below.

Alright, Gena B. thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

Absolutely thrilled as a creative, and there’s no going back for me!

I’m certain about it because I’ve had my fair share of “regular” jobs including working at tech companies, and I’m definitely happier now than I was before. To be clear, I still have a “day job” to support myself, but I’m lucky enough that my day job is in a super casual and fun environment at a comedy club! No cringey corporate lingo there.

Gena B., before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m a comedian, writer and show producer based in Los Angeles!

I perform standup regularly at major clubs and indie venues around LA. I co-produce a Middle Eastern standup show that has toured multiple cities in various festivals. I’m currently pitching a pilot about my dad.

I started doing standup right out of college. I graduated and moved right out to the West Coast and started hitting open mics! The rest is history.

Something I’m most proud of is the Middle Eastern comedy representation I’ve championed since I co-created a Middle East-focused comedy show called ‘Hilarious Habibis.’ Every few months we put on a curated show at the Hollywood Improv, a major historical comedy club, featuring only Arab, Persian, and North African comedians. I didn’t think the show would grow as quickly as it has, but Hilarious Habibis sold out New York Comedy Festival, SF Sketchfest, and was featured by AlAraby TV in its first 2 years. This is only the beginning and I can’t wait to see how much further it goes.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I always have conversations with my parents about how different my day-to-day life is from theirs. I love the way I live, but it might seem hectic to most people. First of all, I love staying up super late – it’s when my creative juices thrive! I was never a morning person. And now that I’m fully in a creative field, boy oh boy do I love sleeping in til noon, and being awake til 2 or 3a.m.! For me, I prefer to write or create after the sun has set.

There’s some other lifestyle choices that I think my family expected of me as an adult. I’m pretty positive I’m not gonna have kids. This business is time-sucking, and you really have to be committed to having your evenings and many weekends booked up with shows, or touring around the country. You have to make sacrifices. But lucky for me, I’m fully bought in. Buying a home or having a family just isn’t something that calls my name.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Every comedian goes through this, but it’s such valuable insight: Don’t ever go on stage trying to embody someone else, or even slightly mimic another artist’s style. The audience will be able to tell it’s phony immediately. I definitely started out trying to mimic artists I admired, and my set just wasn’t working.

I know it sounds corny to say “just be yourself,” but in standup comedy, it’s so crucial. You can’t achieve your full threshold of funny until you are 100% speaking from your true identity.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.genabjones.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juicygena/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/juicygena

Image Credits
Photos are taken by Bahareh Ritter and Daniel Daleon.