Have you ever set a goal for yourself and right before you are about to reach it, you do something to prevent achieving it? Oh, it might be subtle, like staying out the night before ’til 2 am getting drunk. Or not preparing for your big audition. Or not asking for help. Or even worse, […]
Most storytellers I work with want their stories to be funnier. And actually, make your story funnier is easier than you think. If you are willing to put in the work, have some patience and take some tiny risks along the way, you can punch up your piece by following some tips I have used that have helped […]
Have you ever thought about taking an improv class or workshop but you weren’t really sure if it was for you? More and more people are taking improv these days for a whole bunch of reasons other than getting on Saturday Night Live. Improv is about more than being silly. In fact, the principles you […]
Whether you work in a creative field or not, we all have a human need to be creative on a regular basis, for our hearts and our souls. When we find ways to express our creativity, we are lighter, things don't bother us as much, we are easier to be around, we are more fulfilled, and […]
Okay, the year is only two weeks old, and I am sure some of you have already blown off your New Year's resolutions by now. But if one of your resolutions this year was to have more fun, it’s not too late to start doing that. To help you out, I’ve come up with five […]
Risk. When we think about taking a risk we usually think about disaster. We certainly don't think about succeeding on the first try. That's how I used to think. I thought risks were supposed to be painful. I assumed taking a risk meant I would fail miserably and the learning would be in the doing […]
I have heard improv teachers over the years describe improv to the lay person as something that "gets us to play like when we were children -- like when we played house or on the playground – pure, spontaneous and no judgement." I have even used some of this language in my marketing. But lately, as the […]
The Second City in Chicago turned 60 this week. Though I was never on the Main Stage or even in the touring company, Second City has always had a special place in my heart. I taught at the training center, worked in the business theater and have done plenty of shows there. And the best part […]
With the year almost over, I wanted to share some things I learned this year that make me happy. As you know, I can often get into a shame-filled, depressive state, where I think nothing in my life is well. But I’ve realized lately that joy doesn’t have to be a big thing – joy […]
Our goal as artists is to evolve, and the best way to do that is to constantly challenge our way of thinking and our approach. One way effective way to do that is by reading books about improv. The goods ones, and there are a lot of them out there, make you look at things […]