Tonight I had dinner with Andel a former teammate of mine who is in the city for a bit between boat contracts. She got put on Rick around four years ago when she landed back in Chicago for a couple months between gigs. We hit it off and became good friends. Over the past couple years she's been in and out of Chicago traveling and working. Each time we make a point to see each other, catch up, and play together if we can.
It's one of the numerous fulfilling friendships I owe to improv. Studying and performing improv has given me many things, not only stage time but community, a chance to find my personal artistic voice, interpersonal support, an ability to actualize creative ideas, and many many like-minded talented friends. To use a corporate term, there are a ton of fringe benefits when learning and performing improv.
My first year out of college I was lost. Personally and creatively. Getting into improv gave me a focus, a structure, and provided that most elusive thing- a chance to meet people. Most of my friends I've met through improv, most of my strongest connections I've forged through that point of origin. Aside from providing me with strong, brilliant, effecting friendships studying and performing improv has helped me to cultivate an ability to write, to conceive creative projects, to put them up to be seen with whatever artistic and administrative hoops they may involve.
This nebulous and often frustrating art form has given me a lot for which I am unceasingly grateful. I continue to perform it with as much joy and inspiration as I can in an effort to pay whatever karmic debt may be owed.
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