Hello improvisers!

Another episode of Your Improv Brain is out, and this week I'm talking about how I take care of myself to sustain yourself in scenes and on teams a bit better. Maybe something in this episode will resonate somewhere about something.

Improv Burnout? The Truth About "Selfishness" & Comedy Performance

Many of us in creative communities, especially the people-pleasing, team-focused world of improv, might have internalized the idea that constant agreeability and putting the group's needs ahead of our own is the correct way of making good art and building strong teamwork.

Maybe we even think we want to sacrifice for our art, or suffer for comedy. That it shows we care a lot. We might try to achieve this by saying yes to every gig and accepting and implementing every note we receive. But this approach can also lead to resentment, in some cases, and burnout in more.

And I don't know about you... but when I put myself last, I find myself showing up as someone who isn't me at all... and when this happens I don't think I create stuff or improvise in a way that connects as well to others (if I feel like "doing a comedy" at all!)

So how exactly do we do comedy for ourselves in a way that makes it better for the entire team, overall? I don't think this idea of self-focus contradicts "yes, and" mentality. This episode explores what this looks like for me, and some ideas of how to start putting this in practice.

Last week's episode on grounded characters: Beyond “Acting Normal” as a Grounded Character

When learning improv, many of us are are given a piece of advice for playing the grounded character (or voice of reason): “Just react like you would in real life.” But what else can we do to build our scenes and shows?

Find the episode and a summary here on this page at ImprovUpdate.com.

If you’re into immersive improv comedy audio fiction series… try Grack Public Access

A new episode of the near-fully improvised Grack Public Access is out (episode 3, Linda's Funeral Parlour). I created this series to blend improv with scripted elements in a “radio show” two-prov form. This series has full sound design production, too, for an immersive experience.

You can also get a free bonus “behind the scenes” clip by subscribing (free) to the StereoForest newsletter.

There also might be opportunities to have your voice on the show. See what the show all about and if you like it, and let me know if you are interested!

Thanks for reading! I’m really happy you’re still here. Reply if you have any questions or comments!

Jen