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What Comedy Improv Taught Me About Life

After a year of beginner comedy improv classes, our director gave me the green light to enroll in the intermediate comedy improv class.

I began taking improv classes in 2006 to learn how to be “present”. At first I was so terrified, I had to psych myself up to even get to class… and sometimes I end up psyching myself out of class instead. Now, I can’t wait for Tuesday to roll around so I can get to class and experience that mixture of terror and playfulness.

What I learned in comedy improv has helped me live life the way I want to live life. Each opportunity to get up and perform is like applying life skills in a sliver of time. In addition to having an environment where I can exercise my extreme quirkiness, I’ve learned that…

1. I can spend a lot of time going over what I could have done or should have said to be “funnier”, but what truly counts is what I actually do and say in my turn.

2. A true skill of improv and in life is to be with the fear when fear comes, listen intensely to what I am given, and trust that something comes to me in the nanoseconds I have to respond in the scene.

3. Being a good audience member, clapping and cheering for my fellow improv’ers when they’re on stage is as important as being a good improv’er when I’m on stage. I enjoy being a good audience member as much as performing on stage.

4. When I bomb and fail miserably, I know that it will be all over in minutes. A classmate suggested that we can aim to fail on stage early on, and get over that part of our mindtrash so we can go on to enjoy ourselves.

5. Yes, and. Yes, and. Yes, and. The mantra for comedy improv is “yes, and.” Whatever I get, I say, “yes, and.” Whatever happens to me in life, I say, “yes, and.” I accept everything that comes by saying “yes”. I create my own experience from what I’m given by saying “…and…”

Our beginner comedy showcase is March 13, 2007 (same day I’m participating in a speech contest… wish me luck) :-) then I check into the intermediate comedy improv classes on March 26.

Who knows, one day you may see me perform in an improv troupe.

Originally published: Mar 7, 2007 @ 10:13

This was written by Jane Chin. Posted on Wednesday, January 5, 2011, at 10:13 am. Filed under Articles and Blog. Tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink. Follow comments here with the RSS feed. Post a comment or leave a trackback.
  • http://theclosetentrepreneur.com/ TOMAS

    Congratulations on your move to the intermediate class! I suggest you take the Ze Frank route (attained a neuroscience degree then made it big online) and create an online cult following while helping individuals empower themselves to greatness. Or, you can take the improv troupe route.

  • http://www.JaneChin.com Jane Chin, PhD.

    Boy, that’s a tough choice Tomas. I think I have had enough of formal scientific schooling at this point of my life. But creating an online cult sounds interesting.

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  • http://seoblackhat.com quadszilla

    Congrats on the classes – that takes some guts. When I get back to the US I’m certainly going to take some improve classes. The parallels you draw to life are insightful:.

    I Got here from olson and you just picked up a subscriber.

  • http://www.JaneChin.com Jane Chin, PhD.

    Thanks, Quadszilla. Let me know when you try improv!

  • http://brentnewhall.com/ Brent P. Newhall

    Ooooh, excellent advice!

  • http://businessadvicedaily.com Dave Prouhet

    Jane,

    Just wanted to say great post and excellent site layout. Both are very impressive! I especially liked the advice about yes and…

    Dave
    http://www.BusinessAdviceDaily.com/

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