We started talking about how people see other people. Like, without even knowing a person very well, people will make assumptions like, "That person is smart or dumb or classy or weird or bff material or someone who would be fun at a party but whom you couldn't really trust," or whatever.
I don't know what these labels are based on, exactly. Not all of them can come from looks alone because, I don't care what Darren says, some dumb people stand the same as some smart people. So I believe it comes from some inner vibe that the person gives off.
What? I know you know what I mean. I'm sure you know some people who just seem to exude confidence, sure-of-themselves-ness and success, while you also know some people who, uh, don't.
Naturally, in improv, it doesn't matter what the person exudes, because we are going to label the character. Still, the person's natural go-to emotion or state of being or whatever you want to call it definitely comes through because when we do an against-type exercise, the class can easily identify what's against type - which means they have already identified the type.
Here's the amazing part... When you start doing against type exercises, or just taking on characters that aren't really you, and you learn you can do them, you realize you can also change that thing you exude. Maybe you've always seen yourself a certain way, but it's not the way you'd like to see yourself (or the way you'd like others to see you). When you get used to committing totally to labels that are different from your usual self, you develop confidence that you can be something different from your usual self.
I'm not in any way implying that your usual self is bad. First of all, we never imply anything in improv. So if I thought your usual self was bad, I'd just come right out and say so. But your usual self may be based on how you were growing up, or feelings left over from a less-than-ideal time of your life, or whatever. I'm not a therapist, people; I don't know where your usual self comes from exactly.
I'm just saying that people don't always see us the way we'd like to be seen. But once we change how we see ourselves, it's actually not difficult to change others' perspectives of ourselves, because their perspectives are largely based on our own perspectives.
Improv class is a great, fun, safe, encouraging place to try new perspectives on for size. FYI, drunk is not actually a perspective.
By Sonnjea Blackwell
