Why You Need Humility to Be a Good Improviser
An improviser is a true artist. And to be a true artist, it takes true humility. It takes more humility to be on stage than ego.
When I improvise from my ego, and I still do sometimes, it's “Get out of the way, I am the best." And "I am the best" never leads to getting better.
It's lonely on the pedestal.
When I improvise from a place of humility, I have more fun, because learning is fun, and I tend not to be as hard on myself.
And it takes just as much humility to do a bad show where you think you bombed as it does a good show where you think you killed.
In a bad show, you learn so much that it's equal to taking six two-hour classes. It especially takes humility to do a show in front of your friends and family while you are not a letter-perfect improviser. It takes humility to thank them for coming and to take in their love and support, even though you don't think you deserve it.
The hardest part for me is realizing they love you even when you are not letter perfect, regardless of negative messages in your head.
It takes a different kind of humility to do a good show. There have been times when I have come off stage after crushing it and have been humbled by my own performance, because it feels like someone was speaking through me, that I was channeling my muse, God, The Universe, something outside myself.
It usually happens when I embrace the fear, rely on my years of experience and trust my instincts. It’s part magical and part years developing my craft. Thank God it does not come every time, or I wouldn't be writing about humility, I'd be writing about how great I am.
I want to leave you with this one thought — the good thing about improv is you will never stop learning, and the bad thing is you will never stop learning. No one will master it, kind of like relationships, but if we come with an open heart and beginner's mind we have a chance to stay humble.