We had our 3rd improv Level 3 class this Saturday, and it made me realize how quickly time is flying by. It honestly makes me a little sad, but it is what it is.

It’s not often I feel proud of how I did in class, so I thought I should write about those moments. Maybe I should write about my okay days too. But, like all the other classes, this one was full of fun and learning.

I’ll admit, I often feel like I’m not giving my best compared to others in my class or student jams. Some folks come in with their emotions cranked up to 11, which I think is what makes this whole improvisation thing so much more enjoyable.

That’s exactly what I did this time. In this class, we focused on emotions and a lot of scene work. One particular exercise paired two people: one would face the wall, and the other would start doing something. When called, the person facing the wall would join in, but their first line had to establish the relationship between the two.

I started the scene by pretending I was in an office, feeling how I usually do when I can’t get a piece of code to work—frustrated and pissed. I cranked that feeling up to 11, banging my head on an imaginary wall every time I got stuck in that emotion. In my head, I expected my partner to join as a coworker or maybe a boss. But, in true improv fashion, they pretended to be a doctor checking up on stressed-out employees. So, in the spirit of improv, I ‘yes, and’ed it. I stayed in my frustrated state, getting more pissed as my partner kept trying to check on me. You get the idea. By the end of the scene, my partner caught my emotion, got frustrated too, and started smoking weed to cope.

All in all, it turned out pretty well, and I’m proud of it.

Another lesson we learned was about starting low and ending on a high. In improv, we sometimes tend to start with big offers, which can be hard to sustain. One thing Kerry (our teacher) pointed out was the value of starting small and gradually building up. That sparked an idea for me—start with something grounded in the real world and then twist it into something unexpected. It could be just the thing to surprise the audience.

Here’s to more learnings, more fun, and more 'yes, and’ing!