Hello, Neurodivergent Improvisers

:: 00:01

Hello, Substack, it's Jen.

:: 00:03

I didn't think I'd be using this site, but here I am, because I saw that they had a podcast feature, and I thought that is a lot easier than potentially type in words out, which I do a lot of in other places and not something I wanted to do here.

:: 00:18

So I'm going to try this out and see how well it functions basically.

:: 00:25

And if it functions well, maybe I'll use it for more.

:: 00:28

So my intent is to speak about Improv, of course, because this will be going out with my Improv newsletter at flatimprov.com.

:: 00:37

So it makes sense that it's about Improv.

:: 00:39

But I've been thinking for a while, you know, what can I talk about a lot?

:: 00:44

I love to monologue, I love to talk, and this seems like a way to do it more.

:: 00:49

Great.

:: 00:50

But what the hell am I going to talk about?

:: 00:52

Well, I was thinking about talking.

:: 00:55

I was thinking about talking for one, but I was also thinking about talking about neurodivergence and improv.

:: 01:02

I have a neurodivergent brain, it's the way I'm wired, and it affects my improv a lot.

:: 01:09

As a student, it affects the way that I approach teaching.

:: 01:14

Not that I've done a lot of it, but it has affected that as well.

:: 01:17

How can it not?

:: 01:18

It's the way I'm wired.

:: 01:19

And of course, it also affects scene work a lot.

:: 01:25

And this thing, neurodivergence, is obviously something that can be a challenge.

:: 01:31

You can take advantage of it.

:: 01:33

And I want to talk about those various topics.

:: 01:39

So I've made a list.

:: 01:40

I like to do lists.

:: 01:43

And some of the things that I anticipate talking about is how I create characters.

:: 01:51

I create them in a highly visual way that uses something called hyperfantasia.

:: 01:57

I use it in other parts of improv scenes.

:: 01:59

I'm trying to manipulate it.

:: 02:00

So I'm going to talk about that a little bit.

:: 02:02

I'm going to talk about, you know, how I don't create characters as well, because a lot of the common ways that it's instructed, presumably, of course, those people use those ways, doesn't work for me.

:: 02:14

So I also want to talk about things that don't work for me.

:: 02:17

And what do I do instead?

:: 02:20

I want to talk about auditory processing.

:: 02:23

That, of course, affects the way that you learn improv, especially.

:: 02:27

It affects the way that you hear notes, how you ask questions, how you're instructed.

:: 02:35

I want to talk about alexithymia.

:: 02:37

That's a big one for a lot of us who have that, because it affects how you do emotions in scenes.

:: 02:43

And it affects how you're taught to do emotions and scenes as well.

:: 02:49

And that's something I actually learned that I had through Improv, because I was blurted out the way I did a thing.

:: 02:56

And I was like, well, that was weird.

:: 02:58

I just kind of learnt how I did it when I blurted it out on the spot.

:: 03:02

And later on, I came across the idea of that.

:: 03:08

Again, it was a word I knew, and I never really thought I had it until Improv kind of highlighted, oh, by the way, you do have that thing after all.

:: 03:17

I'm going to talk about grounded voice of reason as well, because that, I think, is maybe the first thing where I really hit my neurodivergent brain the most and the hardest.

:: 03:27

And I don't even know if I have good workarounds yet, but I want to talk about grounded being grounded and being yourself in a scene when you've masked your entire life.

:: 03:41

So, these are some of the things that I thought that I would talk about, and I'm sure that I will ramble and go off talk pick and on tangents a lot.

:: 03:50

But that's, that's my idea now.

:: 03:53

And if you're actually listening to this, all three of you, what do you think?

:: 03:57

What do you want to hear about?

:: 03:58

Is this even something that seems remotely interesting to you?

:: 04:03

Let me know.

:: 04:04

I would like to talk, as you probably know, if you actually know me.

:: 04:10

All right.

:: 04:11

Bye.