The Most Underused Way to Get Better at Improv

NEW WORKSHOPS! Find all the information on the newly released website at https://YourImprovBrain.com/offscript Someone asked in an improv forum how you should actually learn improv, whether that's doing scenes, watching other people, or reading and talking theory. I had a big enough answer that I rebooted the podcast to give it, and to add the one way a lot of people skip or don't think is "a thing" I guess. I walk through how I'd rank the ways to learn improv, starting with the one that counts most by a lot, then the second thing that shapes your taste and your skills over time. After that I get into the part I actually rebooted this episode for, the most underused way to get better, and probably the central idea of this whole show. If you're neurodivergent, this is also how you work out which standard improv notes fit your brain and which ones you can set aside, and that changed a lot for me. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: Why doing improv beats every other way to learn it, and by how much What to actually pay attention to when you watch better improvisers The most underused way to get better, and why classes rarely mention it How to study your own improv brain so it shows up in scenes without thinking Which improv notes to keep and which ones to toss for how your brain works CHAPTERS: 0:00 The forum question that kicked this off 1:50 Why actually doing improv beats everything else 2:21 What to watch for when you watch better improvisers 3:19 The most underused way to learn improv 4:27 What metacognition means for your improv brain 9:03 Two things to avoid when you look back at a scene 10:56 What you actually get from studying your own improv 13:49 How this quiets comparison and self-criticism 20:50 A simple way to start after your next set 22:32 Off Script: doing this reflection with structure RESOURCES: My answer to the original forum question   / 2860434757656333   Post-session reflection sheet (linked in my newsletter) and Off Script workshops at https://yourimprovbrain.com RELATED EPISODES: E31: Clear Mind = Get Out of Your Head in Improv:    • Get Out of Your Head in Scenes (It's Not W...   E33: 3-Step System & Exercise to Manage Self-Criticism in Improv    • Improv Exercise to Turn Your Inner Critic ...   ——————————— MORE RESOURCES ——————————— Find improv resources, including WORKSHOPS and downloads, at https://yourimprovbrain.com! Get weekly articles about improv and performance, discounts, bonus downloads, and connect with Jen on the newsletter at that same site. Comprehensive guides all about getting notes as a student, or giving them as a teacher. Two guides, discount if you get both! https://yourimprovbrain.com/notes ——————————— ABOUT ——————————— Your Improv Brain is a show about the cognitive side of comedy. Host Jen deHaan explores how our unique brain wiring affects how we learn, perform, and create. Now expanding to cover the "body" side of the brain-body connection! We're digging into why we freeze up, how to find our flow, and using "nervous system" concepts to become better improvisers. Whether you are neurodivergent (ADHD, Autistic, etc.) or just want to understand your own creative process better, this show is for you. This podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. All creative graphics made (by a human!) Jen deHaan. Jen deHaan is an autistic and ADHD performer and spends a lot of time thinking about how neurodivergent brains handle the demands of professional life, creative performance, and just getting through a regular ol day. She has close to 30 years teaching creative technology and instructional design, improv and acting coaching, fitness instruction, a BFA, and a bunch of certifications. Jen is a trauma-informed coach working towards Board Certified Coach credentials, certified in nervous system regulation, and completed graduate studies in Developing Healthy Communities from Tufts University. She's currently developing a show for regional streaming TV in Canada about neurodivergent brains and nervous systems called Grounded (streaming in 2027). Jen also started StereoForest to create audio fiction series that incorporate improv, and has produced several series. Learn more at https://jendehaan.com/about ——————————— CONNECT ——————————— Contact Jen at https://jendehaan.com Bluesky https://jendehaan.bsky.social Linkedin   / jdehaan   ——————————— SUPPORT ——————————— Grab a booklet about improv! Find them at https://yourimprovbrain.com/shop Sign up for a workshop! https://yourimprovbrain.com/offscript Get coaching! For your brain, not necessarily about improv (but it can be). https://yourimprovbrain.com/coaching Podcast hosting: https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=y... Subscription-free transcriptions: https://gumroad.com/a/20303251/ivpqk This show was written, recorded and edited in British Columbia, Canada by Jen deHaan.