Meet Krista Moy | Comedian & Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Krista Moy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Krista, how do you think about risk?
Every good thing in my life has come from taking a risk. Not all of my risks have been smart, but they have helped me learn how to trust myself. As a creative, trust in the self is a must. If you can’t trust yourself, how the hell you gonna trust somebody else! Can I get an amen?

Risk taking has taught me how to bet on myself no matter the cost. As long as I am using my inner compass and surrender to the flow of my life, it always rewards me. In my teens and 20’s I took many risks in both my career and personal life. To take a risk doesn’t mean you don’t have fear or it won’t be painful. It means you’re trusting that no matter what happens you will be okay.

I applied to only one college senior year of high school, the private and expensive art school Parsons. Again, not all my risks were smart, but I got in! I was the first person in my family to go to art school which was a risk because I was on my own figuring out my career. No one in my family could give me any advice or help. Sometimes taking risks means taking the road less traveled and making your own blue print for life.

Getting divorced which was a big risk. I knew the relationship wasn’t serving me. No matter how painful the process, I chose to trust intuition. I transferred from Parsons to Otis in LA, a different expensive art school where I didn’t know as single person in the whole state against the wishes of my husband. I decided breaking up my marriage was necessary to preserve myself and continue to follow my dreams.

I took one of the biggest risks of my life and chose to pursue a career in comedy. This required investing money for classes, stage time, embarrassment from bombing repeatedly, networking, self promoting, time away from my boyfriend, and eventually leaving the design world and change my career. Trusting in myself is the only way I was able to do any of that.

As a comedian, I have to trust myself when I’m performing on stage. I make a lot of jokes about my trauma which has been incredibly cathartic. When delivering jokes about heavy real topics, you are risking how people are going to react. Not everyone likes to hear jokes about trauma. It can touch a nerve. I have been learning from taking risks with my material that it’s ok to make people uncomfortable. Sometimes thats the sacrifice necessary to say what needs to be said.

These risks all cost something; a relationship, financial freedom, time, the familiar, disrupting the comfort of others. Cutting toxic relationships out of my life, taking on student loan debt for a degree, getting set back a year after transferring schools, feeling lonely in a new town, and leaving a seedling stable career in design for an unknown career in comedy were all painful risks. But they were all necessary steps to get me to where I am today. I have met some of my best friends here in LA and now live here with my fiancé who was born here. I feel so fulfilled being able to find my voice through performance and writing. None of this would be possible without initially following my inner compass.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The human experience has always felt off to me, as if I’m originally not from earth. That’s why I connect to much to comedy. Everything about life on earth seems so absurd. An outsider perspective has always allowed me to be a spectator and note taker of life. That’s what I love about being a comedian is sharing my unique perspective to lend insight to others.

I’m really proud of how my comedy has evolved. It was not easy finding my voice. I started by writing little jokes in a notebook then later reading them out loud to strangers on stage. I used be afraid to talk about personal things on stage because it felt too vulnerable. The more opened myself up and made it my mission to share my story, the better I got at learning what I have of value to really connected with people.

I have found my voice by being personal and talking about my trauma, sexuality, mental health, race, feminism, and relationships. I have learned that your voice is a muscle. It can get stronger the more you use it. It can help you connect with this world and find ways to understand it.

I want the world to know that laughter is healing. It has been one of my most useful tools for learning about myself and helping me process some difficult times. Often what makes me cry can also make me laugh. I believe they come from the same place inside us.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is a funny question because my friend is coming in town tomorrow! First stop, my ‘Welcome to LA’ ritual of In-N-Out because its right by the airport. Then we will head to Venice Beach and stick our toes in the sand. Next we stroll down Main St checking out the shops, maybe walk around Santa Monica Pier.

One of my favorite things to do is go watch seals in Marina Del Rey. They lay out on the docks tanning their brown bodies and embody the California vibe! The bike paths all along the beach are a great way to see some sights and catch some sun. Of course stopping in to my local dispensary for some edibles and pre-rolls will help get anyone visiting LA into the right vibe.

Hiking is a must! Some of my favorite spots to hike are Griffith Park, Runyon Canyon, and the Culver City Stairs. We would spend a day in Little Tokyo and walk around Downtown LA, get a coffee or boba tea at the corner bakery. At night we would drink cocktails out on the patio at Bar Flores in Echo Park.

Definitely need to hit up the Japanese grocery Mitsuwa, Taco Tuesday there are many options to choose from, my personal favorite lately is Teddy’s Red Tacos in Venice. That would be a great place to catch the sunset. And of course I would have to take her to a comedy show if they allow an audience during these covid times! Laughter is a must all throughout the trip!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to shout out my bestie Shir-Ami Thompson who referred me here! Shir-Ami is a beautiful light and has been so supportive of my dreams. He has witnessed my mess of a journey finding where I’m going, constantly offering nothing but encouragement. I run all my best jokes by him. His sense of humor is unmatched and is always inspiring new ideas. I appreciate him attending every single virtual comedy show I did during the pandemic. Not only is he a fountain of love, but he is a major talent as well. I’m proud to call him my soul family! Love him in all my lives!

Website: www.thehotkristamoy.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mistakoy/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/moytweetsworld

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MISTAK0Y/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPQ-TRV2ythu0ApQ1Kqnz0Q

Image Credits
Annabel Park, Jordan Cole