Improv, Anxiety and Good Friends!

This weekend’s Found Family show at Finest City Improv was extra special because of our guest, our good friend Seamus. I’ve known Seamus since he was a student of mine a couple of years ago. He was really one of the first people to make me realize what kind of impact it was possible to have as an improv teacher.

He reached out early on and shared some of the anxiety he was facing. It meant a lot to me that someone I barely knew could share that. It was that moment that made me realize this was all more than games and play. On some level I always understood the power that improv has, but this hit me in a way it hadn’t before.

As a teacher and a huge sufferer of anxiety myself, I was able to take on a valuable role by sharing my own similar experiences. My first instinct was to reach back and give the most encouragement that I could. I didn’t even realize how much of a difference that would make.

Fast forward almost 2 years and Seamus is now a huge part of our improv community, on various teams and a performer that many look up to. He also released an album this year which was a huge feat for him.

He’s an amazing friend and reminds me that it is okay to sit in the ups and downs that we experience with anxiety and depression. When the darkness creeps in you can try your hardest to push it away, but sometimes you just have to sit in it. You have to be as easy as possible on yourself, and just remember that this is part of the ride. It helps when you have good friends to remind you that you’re not alone.