It's not that I think improv is the solution for all the world's ills, necessarily. I mean, it seems unlikely that my playing "Yes, and" for a couple of hours will really do much to alter the course of climate change one way or the other.
It's more along the lines of, life's a tough place. Doing something that makes you (and other people) happy for a few hours a week shouldn't really be looked at as a luxury in the crazy world we live in. There's something extremely therapeutic about acting out the things you would like to say to your dumb-ass boss, or channeling a character based on some horrible person from your past or just getting to jump around and be silly... without relying on booze and without being mocked for it. Everybody needs some kind of outlet.
And beyond that, life is short, peeps. Way too short, most of the time. Going along in a rut, or waiting to try something creative or edgy or different "sometime," or living with your fears because you figure there'll be time to find courage later are recipes for regret. Tomorrow is not a guarantee.
Improv scenes are 3 minutes long, and you have to get out the beginning, middle and end, make it make sense and hope that it'll be funny and make people happy. When you think about it, life is pretty much the same thing.
Want to learn to live in the moment and make the absolute most of each one? Held2gether Improv classes really can teach you that.
You're on your own with the price of gas, though. (Though if you believe hard enough, maybe you can channel a unicorn or two to give you a ride now and then. It works for me.)
By Sonnjea Blackwell
