One of my oldest and most strongly-held opinions, not to mention one of my most obnoxious opinions, is that everyone should take an improv class. Absolutely everyone. Yes, even if the very thought fills you with extreme confusion and/or terror. Perhaps especially if that’s the case – and perhaps especially in times of global chaos and tumult.
Many people who know me IRL will have heard me give this impassioned speech already, but I realized recently that I don’t think I’ve ever codified it into writing. So here, for your consideration, is my pitch for why you – YES, YOU! – should take a local improv class, at least once in your life. (The last reason on this list is the most important one, FYI…)
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Improv is fun! Duh. It’s a comedic art form based in collaboration, creativity, exploration, and play. It’s literally the grown-up version of playing pretend as a kid, except with more skill and structure (usually) and more adult themes (sometimes). Science has established that play is good for everyone, not just kids – it increases mental flexibility and resilience, helps with emotional regulation (especially in stressful times like these), and fosters empathy and teamwork. All good things!
It’s good for your brain! Actual scientists say so and everything. Doing improv reduces anxiety and depression and improves self-esteem. Improv is one of many ways to access flow state, a positive psychological state that improves mental wellbeing in the short-term and the long-term. It makes you a better writer because of how it boosts your verbal facility. It encourages neuroplasticity (i.e. the brain’s ability to reorganize/rewire synaptic connections), so it may even be able to help trauma survivors feel better over time (although, of course, I wouldn’t recommend it as your only treatment in that case). In summation, it’s basically a workout for your brain!
It improves your social/conversational skills! I notice this most readily when I listen to old podcast episodes of mine; I definitely thought slower and spoke more slowly and haltingly, often not quite landing on the point I was trying to make. Years and years of podcasting and improv have made me a wildly better off-the-cuff speaker; I think the aforementioned neuroplasticity has a lot to do with this. Crucially, though, improv doesn’t just make you better at talking – it makes you better at listening, because so much of improv is about reacting and responding to what your scene partner does. So you should definitely take an improv class if you want to become a more skilled, memorable, and engaging conversationalist who people enjoy talking to.
It’s a great way to meet people! If you want to meet literary intellectuals, join a book club or a writers’ group. If you want to meet brawny daredevils, join an axe-throwing team or a rock-climbing gym. If you want to meet smart, funny people who don’t take themselves too seriously and who always commit to the bit, take an improv class. I have met some of the cleverest and most creative people in my life through improv, and it also continually helps remind me that I’m not some lone freaky outcast – there are lots of other nerdy weirdos like me in the world! I think many of us could use a dose of that I’m-fundamentally-not-alone feeling these days.
It makes you braver! Okay, this is really the #1 reason I think everyone should take an improv class – including people who practically start hyperventilating at the thought. Like skydiving or telling your ex to fuck off, doing improv is such a uniquely terrifying activity that it makes everything else in life seem more doable by comparison. Nervous about giving that big presentation at work? Who cares; you tripped over your words during last week’s class and everyone laughed good-naturedly with you about it and it was totally fine. Freaked out about a first date you’ve got coming up? NBD; your character already got roundly rejected in a comically bad first date scene, and there’s no way your IRL date will be anywhere near as awkward. Have to face the daily horrors of fascism in your country? Well, if you’ve improvised on a stage in front of a crowd, then you already know you can take the heat and make bold decisions, even in high-pressure situations. Improv is not the same as these other challenges you may face, but it equips you with undeniable proof that you are brave, strong, and have the ability to push through your fears, even the ones that initially make you want to run and hide.
Dear readers, have you ever taken an improv class? Did you enjoy any of these benefits as a result? Feel free to hit ‘reply’ and let me know!
Elsewhere:
• On my blog, I wrote about the importance of paying for porn, what to do if you think you might be bisexual, my favorite songs of 2024, and the fact that Fun Factory was bought out by Satisfyer (boooo).
• On my podcast, we’ve recently chatted about vocal tone in sex & kink, our 2025 sex goals, and queer media, among other things.
• I’m doing SongAWeek again for some reason. So far this year, I’ve written songs about relationship labels, parasocial crushes, arguments, and masochism. All of last year’s songs are available on Bandcamp now, too.
• To state the obvious: Shit’s real fuckin’ bad out there right now. I don’t even know what to say. Consider throwing some money at the Trans Youth Emergency Project, the ACLU, Trans Lifeline, or local mutual aid orgs/funds for trans people who need help in your area. The Internet Archive is doing some hugely important work right now too, and could use your support, as the new fascist regime removes life-saving information from government websites. And here’s a resource page on your rights during ICE raids, some interesting info about how cis people can often access hormones even when trans people can’t, and a video that made me smile of a knife repairman refusing to perpetuate Nazism. I love you and I’m sorry. To quote attorney Chase Strangio: “Fuck it. We fight.”