We recently connected with H.L. Boney and have shared our conversation below.

H.L., looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Stand-up comedy is a craft that can’t be taught, only learned through experience. It’s like inventing, trial and error. You learn from your failures, not your successes. Once I found my comedic voice, I was able to learn more about the craft. I was fortunate to open for legends like Eddie Griffin, Tommy Davidson, and the late David Arnold. They taught me about crowd control, connecting with the audience, and having fun on stage. They showed me that comedy is real, and you have to be courageous enough to stand 10 toes down on what you say. With their help, I was able to improve my material and become a better comedian. If you want to learn comedy, don’t look for classes or books. Just get on stage, hold the mic, and start talking. That’s where the real education begins.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I got into comedy 6 years ago. My favorite roommate at the time went to Goodnights Comedy Club’s open mic night on a date. When he got home, he was adamant that I was much funnier than the acts that performed. He then gave me a flyer to enter their annual contest for amateur comedians. Despite the encouragement, I wasn’t sure if it was for. I later spoke to my sister, the dream crusher. Not in a negative way. Rather, she has a very productive mindset and doesn’t entertain foolish flights of fancy. Surprisingly, once I told her about the contest, she was extremely encouraging. With her support, I had to sign up. After signing up, they (Goodnights Comedy Club) released the names of each contestant for each round. (The contest was multiple rounds on multiple nights.) I googled some of the names and found this contest to have working comics all over the country. Some had YouTube clips, agents, and just high levels of success. I was immediately intimidated. I didn’t think that this was going to turn out in my favor. But, I knew there was no backing out because I spent my last $25.00 to enter the contest. I learned very young not to throw money out of the window. I then began to obsess about the contest 24/7; Constantly writing and revising my jokes. Eventually, my night to perform came. I was a nervous, anxious wreck. Yet I did it. I had a great set and was the top vote getter for my round. This was my first ever comedic performance and I won the night! I advanced over seasoned veterans. More than the victory, I remember vividly the rush/high that came with performing and doing well. The laughs, the applause, the appreciation was so overwhelming I even got a little emotional. It was the best feeling ever. That night, I was asked by many of the comics there to perform at local shows in the Raleigh area and I have been performing ever since.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Being an unattractive, fat, middle child, I’ve always felt invisible, unheard, and unappreciated. However, comedy makes me feel seen. I’ve always felt a responsibility to dim my light for others to shine. This was in all aspects of my relationships both personal and professional. When I began performing, that responsibility to dim my light quickly faded. I also started to become heralded in my local scene and gained respect from my colleagues in comedy. I was part of a community. Being a valued part of a community is the most rewarding part of my comedy journey. I was part of a community that wanted me to let my light shine. It felt as if the poem “Our Deepest Fear”

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

SUPPORT!!! Without the support of society, comedy and all creative cultures are doomed to failure. The most famous lie ever told by a creative is that we do this for you. That’s honestly the most dishonest thing I’ve heard. We do this for us. It’s OUR passion and we would fall into the deepest depression without the ability to pursue our passions. However we need you to be there and let us entertain you with our art. We hope you enjoy it. But, when it boils down to truth, we need crowds. We need laughs. We need you!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Kayotic0ne
• Facebook: H.L. Boney Comedy
• Twitter: Hlboney
• Youtube: H.L. Boney Comedy
• Other: My comedy album, “My Turn” is available on all streaming platforms:
  Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/my-turn/1704702916
  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/1BQwhVRQStJvkFSTXCjv05?si=8vT5SJdmSQ2YeE33SuO2jw
  Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/albums/B0CGT9FMT7?ref=dm_sh_P4r73YZNEqfw6XPYWz1X3HzHE
  YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mpPsWJQcyIn1GexX9hQqfCVzvEOlRwh7Y&si=p3SdVB4IIZGXLnP9