Improv Comedy for “Side Quests”
This comedy technique is a killer companion for any creative person
There’s a good chance that learning to let go and live in the moment would make your life more enjoyable. I’m willing to bet that if you could communicate (and collaborate) with more confidence and charisma, that your personal and professional relationships would improve.
Hi, I’m Chris. I’ve been performing and teaching improv comedy for almost 20 years. My path to the art form was very career-driven. I wanted to work in comedy and so I did all of the comedy I could do. On set for one of my first big production jobs (VH1’s Motormouth, I’m guessing you don’t remember it?) I expressed my interest in being a hidden camera show actor. My boss said “you gotta learn improv comedy” and that was it. I dove in.
Very quickly it became clear that improv comedy is a tool that anyone could use. Within a few years I started coaching improv groups. Then I opened my own improv school. Once I started adapting my teaching style towards self-improvement and comedy everything started to change.
Leaders started taking my classes. Entrepreneurs. Public speakers. Parents. Modern elders. People afraid to speak in public. Stand-up comedians, writers, and actors still took them. But this became more than just a tool for comedy. It became a Side Quest for all creative people.
Kobe Bryant learned ballet. Tupac Shakur studied Shakespeare and listened to Les Misérables on repeat. Lebron James practiced yoga on flights between games. These are Side Quests, and everyone should have one.
Many people have hobbies. The CEO goes bowling to take her mind off the stresses of work. But a Side Quest is different — it’s a skill you are actively developing for the purpose of becoming a more well rounded person. Tupac’s background in other art forms made him a better rapper. Lebron’s yoga habit is a major contributor to his longevity.
Sure, bowling could be that. But I’m here to tell you why improv is the Side Quest of your dreams.
Improv is a Swiss Army Knife for all creatives. All at once you are honing your communication, listening, and collaboration skills.
We do this through practicing improv scenes where there is no script, just the moment between two people. There is no suggestion of what the scene is about, and there’s no pre-planning. When you practice communication this way something mystical happens: you stop thinking about what you’re going to say while the other person is speaking. You organically live in this moment right here. You’re not multi-tasking, you’re present.
It’s entirely possible that your Improv Side Quest may evolve into something more (we call that “heightening” — another improv skill crucial to living a beautiful life). I’ve seen people take my class for a creativity tune up and three years later, they are performing at comedy festivals. It happens. This is your warning that you might love it.
But if a Side Quest is your destiny, I cannot imagine a better one. Improv is a regular creative ritual where you connect with others, make people laugh, and improve your communication skills.
Enrollment is open for my monthly (virtual!) improv class. It’s a ton of fun and is at a no-brainer price point. Check it out here.