There I was, singing the first line of a song I made up on-the-spot– only to be overcome with panic, as no words came. Everyone in the room had their eyes on me. Mid-line, I bolted out the door and away from the improv audition a friend randomly coaxed me into coming. Because of that experience, I’ve always enjoyed improv from a distance. That was way back in my undergraduate years.
Now, I am a changed woman.
I had a realization one day in my second year of grad school that my creativity was blocked for some reason. I started thinking about ways I could exercise my creativity and that awareness kept me open to new experiences. I needed to find ways to start letting go. Fast forward two years and I find out one of my meetups is doing Improv for Designers.
I ended up going and had a BLAST. We started with really simple games that allowed us to let go, have fun, and be introspective. It wasn’t scary like that trial-by-fire singing drill at that audition years ago in that college classroom.
Shortly after, I signed up for Level 1 Improv at the Hideout Theater. What I thought was only going to six weeks turned into eight whole months! I continued taking classes and am up to Level 5. I got so into it, that I started spending about 6-9 hours at the theater each week. There was my Monday and Saturday class (3 hours a piece), random workshops throughout the week, and I watched improv shows with my new friends on the weekend.
I had no idea how life changing this would be! I had no idea that I would find myself on a stage performing in bright lights. I had no idea how therapeutic improv would be (laughter is healing). I had no idea how it would teach me mindfulness, listening, team-building, and creativity. I found a space to express myself creatively and the improv community in Austin is incredibly welcoming and kind. What a great eight months!