Disclaimer: This post has been inspired by the work of qualified trauma expert Bessel Van Der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps The Score. The writer of this blog post is not a qualified psychologist, psychotherapist, or trauma-informed professional. They have lived. And they have improvised. A number of years ago, I attended a weekendContinue reading “10 Ways Improv Could Help Heal Trauma”
Category Archives: An Improvised Life
New Year, Same You, Different Improv
Last night I went to an improv show and was asked to write down a suggestion of a New Year’s resolution. I racked my brains. After ten minutes of sitting painfully trying to think of something, a question occurred to me: are New Year’s Resolutions supposed to be fun? I wrote down: to wear moreContinue reading “New Year, Same You, Different Improv”
Perfectionism V.S. Perfectly Imperfect Improv
Agh my mind, my mind! Why is it replaying that cringy moment when I almost fell off the stage? Why is it remembering that stupid thing I said about wrists? Why is it ruminating on when I couldn’t think of the word weasel? Why is it torturing me? Several months ago, I was in aContinue reading “Perfectionism V.S. Perfectly Imperfect Improv”
Energy Saving on the Run Up to an Intensive Improv Experience
Today I am pottering about. I’ve done some easy admin; I’ve sorted through a box; I’ve had a good breakfast. I’m hydrating. I’m half way through my rest time – a space I’ve set aside to stop, to get cosy and to nourish myself. It’s easy to assume because improv is so fun it isContinue reading “Energy Saving on the Run Up to an Intensive Improv Experience”
Getting Lost
Have you been feeling weird recently? Like the world doesn’t seem to fit anymore? Is it you? Is it the world? And what is up with everyone else? I’ve been looking around at the chaos, confusion, conflict and sporadic commitment and wondering: are our hearts really in this anymore? In what? In anything? Or isContinue reading “Getting Lost”
Critics and How to Face Them: Part 2 – Outer
Have you ever let a critic stop you in your tracks? Have you held a criticism close to your heart? Have you soaked up that critique, ruminated, let it speak to you in ways you wish it hadn’t? Well, allow me to let you in on a secret… You are not alone. In Part OneContinue reading “Critics and How to Face Them: Part 2 – Outer”
How to Belong
Something wasn’t working. We tried to ignore it. It was the elephant in the room – a now gigantic beast wearing a tiny bowler hat and a monocle. The well-dressed Nellie was waving, pulling faces and doing parlour tricks. No one wanted to look him in that enlarged eye so we carried on regardless. Personally,Continue reading “How to Belong”
Critics and How to Face Them: Part 1 – Inner
‘Tis the season for trying new things! But how often do we start something with the gusto of New Year energy, only to be swiftly met with a barrage of discouraging voices? The mere whiff of New Year enthusiasm brings my inner critics to the yard like it’s two-for-one on stop-me smoothies. “What’s going onContinue reading “Critics and How to Face Them: Part 1 – Inner”
The Attention Game
The art form of improvised performance can sometimes feel like walking a tightrope between seeing and being seen, hearing and being heard, getting attention and giving attention. When I get out of balance I start to wobble. I start to shake. Sometimes I fall. I get this wobble sometimes when I’ve done a well-received thing.Continue reading “The Attention Game”
Spontaneous Tortoise 