Improving with improv

I have been trying to challenge myself lately to push into experiences that I have always thought of as “not me”. My introvert credentials are pretty stacked: math major, software developer, multi-pass text message editor (reread at minimum 3 times before sending). I have this unfortunate skin reaction when I speak in public (low bar of more than 2 other people), where my neck and face splotch bright red. This misfortune compounds into a feedback loop now that many of these public encounters happen on Zoom. I see the reddening happening in real time, make disguised efforts to mask it, watch it defyingly bloom, and eventually abandon my original train of thought to manage my blushing full-time. This doesn’t usually help me gain confidence.

The idea of attracting attention, acting, or public speaking has always struck fear and dread in me. Fread. But I’m on a kick right now of taking on Fread. So, I signed up for the next Beginner Improv class, paid the fee, and now I’m set for six weeks of performing on stage without a script.

Originally, I thought of this commitment as facing my fears and tackling some weaknesses. I had a few goals based on this:

1. Challenge perfectionism. I won’t have the luxury of time to edit my thoughts. I’ll have to trust myself more and be okay if it isn’t the best.

2. Lean into intuition. I really value logical process and often interpret conversations as requests for solutions. I want to respond more through feeling, empathy, and shared energy and give my analytical perspectives a break.

3. See opportunities and find a way forward. A skill that really benefits software developers is being able to see how anything (everything) can go wrong. There are many paths to failure, and our job is to uncover every one of those and prevent failure from happening. This skill is a close relative of pessimism, and isn’t super fun at parties. With the improv principle of “Yes, and…”, I’m hoping to practice inverting my skills and see how anything (something) can go right.

4. Get in a lot of reps. I figure I can get better at something the more I do it, like anything else.

   
   

Facing fears and tackling weaknesses are the pain part of No Pain, No Gain. While I’m not averse to endurable pain, it isn’t my strongest motivator. As the first day of class was approaching, I started reaching for more motivation to get me into the first class without melting. I found a handful of reminders that got me there:

1. My daughter loves performing. She’s a natural comedian, and lives to make others laugh. The more people laughing the better. I had always attributed this trait to her dad. But what if there’s something in me that contributed? What if I could get this trait from her?

2. I love the back and forth, adapting and readapting, of design and development. Professionally, my favorite projects involve lots of iterations where new requirements are discovered that need quick, efficient pivots. I love building things that are flexible and adapt to very specific use cases. I think that means I will enjoy unscripted improv.

3. I’m really curious about my classmates. I have a feeling there are a lot of interesting stories and motivations that brought people to this class. I feel proud of myself for trying this out, and I somehow also feel proud of everyone else who joined.

   
   

An additional hypothesis I have for this experiment is that it will be highly relevant and useful to the work I do at Option C. I plan to find ways to draw connections from my improv lessons and experiences to the discovery, design, and development work we love doing for clients.