Blog – Page 2 – Vanessa Anton

Blog Teaching Again!

January 12, 2021 admin

So 2020 was something wasn’t it? And 2021 is already acting up. But here we are. While I’ve been lucky to coach improv teams online during the pandemic, I haven’t taught a regular class or workshop in a while. Aside from coaching, I spent much of 2020 in the student seat. Losing the opportunity to travel, teach and connect with folks in person was such a shock. And it’s one that we’ve all dealt with in so many different ways. I couldn’t handle not staying connected to others in some way. Online improv has been such a gift! And it…

Blog Thoughts of being alone

December 25, 2020 admin 5Comment

This is my first Christmas alone. I’ve never really had a holiday tradition to follow each year. I’ve been with my dad or my mom, or with my aunt and uncle, or with partners’ families. But I’ve never been alone. I’ve always been with others.But here I am. The theme of 2020. I’m alone in my space as another holiday rolls through. I’m honestly mostly comfortable on my own. But there is some shame that comes with it. With finding myself in this solitary space time and time again. With being that one who is always kind of roaming about and…

Blog Thoughts During A Global Pandemic

March 31, 2020 admin

I don’t know if you need to hear this, but:It’s okay if you normally love living alone, but feel lonely.It’s okay if you live with a big family and feel lonely.It’s okay if you aren’t feeling like you’re appreciating your loved ones right now.It’s okay if you haven’t started writing the book you wanted, or getting that painting started, or putting up the cabinets in the garage.It’s okay if you’re afraid of running out of your favorite food/snacks, even though you probably have enough.It’s okay if the laundry is piling up. It’s okay if there are dishes in the sink.It’s okay…

Blog An Ode to England

March 23, 2019 admin 1Comment

Oh England, how I love your cold and gray March days. Some may wonder why I’d travel for dreary days during the last days of winter. But why not go to the sun and surf? A tropical island adventure! Nope. I’ll take a rainy cool England adventure instead! Sure maybe it’s not the most fun walking a mile in the chilly rain to the train station. But I much prefer this to sweaty soiled travel clothes and sunburns. As long as I have my favorite jacket and my waterproof Merrell boots, I’m the happiest kid in town. And even happier…

Blog 2018 The Year I Fell In Love

December 23, 2018 admin 7Comment

This is the title I wanted to use for every Christmas card I never sent. For too many years I wanted to alert the masses that I found someone to write home about. If only a love interest could validate my existence, because I was incapable of doing this for myself. Over the years I’d be in and out of finding those someones. I spent my life trying to perfect the best relationship scenario. Each one was finally it! Spoiler alert: none of them were ever “it”. This year I finally grew exhausted by this pattern. Every new potential someone…

Blog You’re Never Really Doing It Alone

October 2, 2018 admin 1Comment

For years I thought about doing a solo show. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. I also had this pull to share the ridiculousness of my journey. The many times that I have tried hard for “fairytale endings”. How I’ve failed at so many attempts to have the life I thought I should have. Making something of the mistakes felt important to me. So I took classes and workshops. I had long conversations and asked so many questions. I was inspired by the witty and ever so amazing Carla Cackowski. I took her workshops series…

Blog Getting quiet (especially when your brain wants anything but)

July 7, 2018 admin 2Comment

Photo: Christina Perry As I type this there is an improv festival happening in my community and I’m not there playing, supporting and socializing with so many wonderful people, because I feel this epic pull to retreat for a bit. It is hard to let go of the feeling of missing out. And the feeling of not being there to support friends and new friends I could be making. It’s hard to sit here and tell myself that I need this time. It’s even harder to believe it. Sometimes I need extra time because it seriously takes a day (or…

Blog Vulnerable Night Vol 3

June 17, 2018 admin

I was anxious about getting the third vulnerable night planned already six months since the last! So I was pretty excited to set a date with my favorite coffee shop. It meant a lot to have a special space to gather. A couple nights before the event, my contact at the shop let me know that he’d resigned and that they were currently closed. I saw this message at midnight and went into a spiral of cry fits and social media holes. I was sad about the event and I was sad about my favorite place that had felt like…

Blog Funny People Society

April 20, 2018 admin

No matter how passionate we are about the work we do, we all have those days when we feel a bit deflated or lost. It’s important during those times to focus on something that recharges the inspiration within us. One of those things for me is a group of college students from Cal State Fullerton called the Funny People Society. I spent 5 years taking classes and workshops in Los Angeles and it is all anyone can do to get me back up to the area, or even close to it. But I don’t even think twice when asked to come…

Blog Dear 2017, I did good. Dear 2018, I’ve got this.

December 28, 2017 admin 2Comment

This is the time of year to really take stock of what has and hasn’t been working in your life. It’s easy to get very self critical. It’s too easy to compare yourself to others, especially as the holiday cards and letters have rolled in chock full of family photos and accomplishments of others. It’s so easy to look at your own life and think, what have I even done? I was feeling very much this way as the holiday season began to kick off and instead of being productive and getting my seasonal projects in order, I’d sit scrolling…