Whenever you're passionate about something, people are curious. Open a theater committed to improv, and you get a lot of questions that can be boiled down to "why?"
Initially, I gave really long answers, trying to explain, and maybe pass on my passion for improv. Over the years I've become Cliff Notes, giving them a quick answer.
"I love it. It's a lot of fun."
It's a chain reaction. Question. Answer. Understanding head nod. Though, I don't think I'm doing them any favors with such a glib response.
Improv is more than fun, it's discovery.
Last week I had nothing to do. Sixty wonderful nowhere to be minutes. So, I went for a walk. I walked along a two lane road, listening to one of my favorite podcasts, Unmistakable Creative. I didn't have my headphones, and as the traffic increased it was difficult to hear the podcast. I quickened my pace a swerved right, heading down a side street. I'd never been here. I'd never seen these houses in Rocklin, or these quirky yards. Gnomes, flowers, Japanese maples, and busted sprinklers sending a jet of water into the air. Then, suddenly, the road just stopped. a dirt path continued through the bushes. I could hear a creek, and figured "what the hell," let's see where there goes.
It was such a incredible walk! I had concrete path for a portion, but that quickly gave way to a loose dirt path. I could go anywhere. I wasn't sure where I was, but figured I'd know soon. Eventually, I found myself on the backside of the disc golf course of Johnson-Springview Park.
Everyone's different, but I love discovering things I didn't know existed. I had no idea the park stretched that far back. I didn't know "this" was here! Just wandering, and observing, and going where I wanted to go was exciting.
That's Improv. Improv is wandering, observing, and picking a new path every second with your scene partner. You're with a friend onstage, doing stuff, seeing stuff, being characters you didn't know you had within you. When you're in that creative flow, I can't think of anything comparable. You're willing to float anywhere, confident that's where you should be. It's exploration.
That's why I opened an improv theater. It's finding a new spot in your creativity everytime onstage.