We recently had the chance to connect with Joy Lin and have shared our conversation below.
Joy, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: Would YOU hire you? Why or why not?
If I were a parent with unlimited money, I would absolutely hire me because I am one of the most entertaining and knowledgeable tutors in Austin. However, my company does charge premium prices for my services, so I would not hire me if I didn’t have loads of disposable income. This is why I volunteer every week to work with hardworking students who can’t afford my services, including tutoring and college essay coaching.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Joy Lin. I have been a public school teacher for Austin ISD for the past 20+ years. I also work as a test-prep tutor (ACT/SAT/ISEE/SSAT/AP) for Advantage Testing, one of the best tutoring companies in America. Aside from my two full-time jobs, I host a standup comedy show every three weeks at a speakeasy in Buda and perform standup comedy at other comics’ shows around town. I work with talented artists to put out a weekly webcomic strip called Alloy Comics, documenting my life with my husband and our adorable son. I regularly host panels at San Diego Comic Con, among other comic cons or educational conventions, on the science of pop culture: real life consequences of having super powers or the scientific realities of movie monsters such as vampires and werewolves. I also have a TED Talk, a six-part TED-Ed animated series, and two 4-book series published on the concept. I am a screenwriter/playwright whose work has been recognized by dozens of film festivals, domestic and international. Lastly, I occasionally appear in commercials as an actress with my son, the best performer in our family, as his “prop.”
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
When I was 9 years old, I broke the record as the youngest 7th grader in the country by first attending elementary at the age of 4 and then testing out of 6th grade. That first semester in middle school (Taiwan’s middle school is 7th-9th grade), I was selected to represent our school in a speech competition. I practiced after school for months and won first place for my school against the reigning champion: a 15-year-old 9th grader. Receiving that gold medal taught me that age does not necessarily limit what I can do and opened my eyes to new possibilities.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
I have very few regrets in my life because I have been incredibly fortunate. However, one of my biggest regrets is definitely self-inflicted. In my youth, I took myself way too seriously, always thinking that people would judge me if I didn’t do everything perfectly. When I tried new things I didn’t have any natural talent in, I often refused to try or gave up quickly for fear of being laughed at. Because of my self consciousness, I never learned how to dance or just how to move my body freely to music. It wasn’t until I was in my 30s that I stopped caring about people’s opinions of me. I didn’t try bowling or playing pool until my husband taught me, and I regret my reservations in my youth that had kept me from just having fun.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
I gotta say: pretty close! The public version of me is more polished, but I don’t put on an act. As a comedian, I share my vulnerabilities on stage. As a screenwriter, I draw from my own personal experiences. As a teacher, I answer difficult questions honestly. As a mother, I try to set the best example possible for my son by demonstration. As the writer for Alloy Comics, I capture the best moments in my family, and I keep the scripts as close to what happened in real life as possible because the core audience for these comics strips is my family. Of course, we fight and have disagreements at home, and that’s not something I share publicly unless I can wrap it in a joke. No doubt I’ve had terrible thoughts in my head from time to time, but the actions I choose to carry through are what define me as a person.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
When I was in my 20s, I was very much in love with my ex-husband. I was mesmerized by the idea of falling in love with someone who looked like he just walked out of a magazine. It was flattering, too, being on the arm of a man who turned heads regularly because he was objectively handsome and chiseled as a bodybuilder. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize we were wrong for each other until years later. I foolishly believed marriage was the ultimate goal and that love was enough to conquer all, but I wasn’t happy. It took a while for us to come to terms with the fact that we were not compatible as a couple, and the divorce broke my heart.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.patreon.com/c/AlloyComics
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alloycomics/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joy-lin-austin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joylinaustin
- Other: https://www.reddit.com/user/AlloyComics/
https://www.webtoons.com/en/canvas/alloy-comics/list?title_no=747447
