Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Michelle Singleton.
Jessica, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve been funny since I was a kid. Although, for a long time, other people described it as “weird.” My dad had always embraced and encouraged me, but after he left, I was pretty neglected. I think I tucked a lot of it in and would just keep my thoughts to myself.
Halfway through high school, people started to notice I was funny and just accept me for being the way I was which helped me come back out of my shell and be the loud and silly person I truly have always been. I was voted Class Clown for my senior superlative, as well as “Most Spirited” which I like to think still carries through in my attitude toward life and my career now.
I went to college in Florida and though I was pursuing an education in fields that have nothing to do with comedy, throughout the entire time I was in college I told everyone that my plan was to be a comedian. I did a couple of open mics at the end of college and saved up to move to Los Angeles. Once I moved here I just hit the ground running. I had a full-time job doing PR for a nonprofit school for blind children from 7-3:30 would do 3-4 open mics a night on most nights, after which I would often go hang out at The Comedy Store until closing time, only to wake up a few hours later and do it all over.
Three years into living in LA, I had an amazing run getting into festivals and transitioned from my full-time job to odd jobs to fill in the gap because I couldn’t maintain the schedule and take all the opportunities that were coming. About a year or so after that, I planned my first independent tour with two friends, and it’s just grown from one nighter in bars to weekends at clubs and theaters, and spots at The Comedy Store with the best comedians in the world.
The thing I like most about where my career is at is that I can confidently say that everything I have up to this point is from hard work. It’s easy to get discouraged in entertainment and think that sometimes, no matter how hard you work or how good you are, it will never pay off. I didn’t have anyone to help me in and, coming from a broken home, I have pretty much supported myself since I was 17. I showed up to LA with a dream of doing stand up comedy full time, and as of this month, it will be three years since I made that dream come true through my own hard work. It’s an uphill climb but the journey has been so amazing.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’m very grateful for where I am and excited to see how everything, especially my material, grows and unfolds. It hasn’t been easy. It’s hard enough to make enough money to survive on your own, let alone thrive, especially as an entertainer. The entertainment industry rallies around some comedians and gives them a lot of opportunities because they deem them worthy and meanwhile I see other people who are so talented and incredible who just seem to get overlooked all the time. I’ve also been mostly overlooked by the industry up to this point, but I’ve made it work anyway. I built my own fanbase, and when I released my first album independently, it went to #1 on iTunes. We’re living in a time where you can really carve out your own path and be the cream that rises to the top even if there’s nobody trying to help scoop you up there.
Additionally, I’ve had a lot of complex trauma issues from my life (abandonment, neglect, abuse, living with a mentally ill parent with addiction issues, etc.) that have created an uphill battle with emotional and mental health, as well as physical health struggles. In 2013, I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, a degenerative autoimmune disease that affects joints as well as major organs and can cause cognitive issues, as well. People can be pretty dismissive when they hear “arthritis” especially since I don’t have any visible physical issues at this point. RA does to joints what MS does to nerve endings.
It’s a pretty scary diagnosis, and it’s easy to let that consume you and make you operate from a position of fear, which leads to stress and can exacerbate the condition. I have a tendency to charge full speed ahead when I’m passionate about something and I’m very passionate about stand up. Learning that I need to slow down and give my body grace and a little more rest than what is typical for healthy people, is an ongoing struggle. Some days the pain or fatigue is so bad I can’t get out of bed or have to move extremely slow when I do.
A thing I’ve grown to love about myself through doing stand up is my excessive amount of energy. Losing some of that or having moments where I can’t do the physical exertion to get it out has been really hard.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I’m a stand-up comedian. That’s what I do. I stand on stage, and I tell stories from my personal life and make observations about society and how I fit in with it in order to bring a tiny spark of joy to people.
In terms of other people doing comedy in Los Angeles: You meet a lot of people pursuing dreams in LA who wear a lot of hats. “Comedian/Actress/Producer/
I guess I’m known for being vulnerable. I think I probably just talk too much. But the most recurring piece of feedback I get from people who are fans of my work is that they love how vulnerable I am. I’m open about my traumas, embarrassing things I’ve done, and my issues with mental and physical illness. People seem to find comfort in that. I got into comedy because I like making people happy. Through doing it, I’ve learned it also makes me feel nice to know people feel comfort in addition to that.
I’ve flourished to the point I’m at because I have put my heart and soul into what I do. I think true passion shines through in any art form and that’s what makes it stand out. My art form just happens to be stand up comedy.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Honesty and a love for stand up comedy. Comedians break down social stigmas and societal ideals to expose the truth while making you laugh about it. It can be scary, to be honest, or questioning about some subjects. We live in a time where people will publicly write you off as one dimensional and project an identity/characteristics on to you just for saying something that makes them uncomfortable.
I think if you want to be a successful comedian, you have to be willing to push through that to find the funny. You also have to love the process because there are going to be lows. If you can find joy in the lows, you can keep going and get to more of the highs.
Pricing:
- My album is $10 on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/please-dont-leave-me/1076869892
Contact Info:
- Website: JMScomedy.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/JMScomedy
- Facebook: facebook.com/JMScomedy
- Twitter: twitter.com/JMScomedy
- Other: My podcast, Ignorance is #Blessed: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ignorance-is-blessed/id1169111367?mt=2
Image Credit:
Clay Larsen, Troy Conrad, Yoko Haraoka, Nicole Aimée Schreiber
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