Tomorrow is the last show of the four week run of my improv troupe on iO West’s main stage. I started taking improv classes in the late nineties. I was performing stand-up comedy at the time and was told by several people that learning how to improvise will take my stand-up to the next level.
I started doing stand-up to get over my shyness. It was never a dream of mine to become a famous stand-up comic. My dream was to be able to converse with people, particularly people I barely knew. My dream was to speak up. My dream was to be heard.
I was a shy kid. Skinny, not athletic, with braces and glasses. My self-esteem was not too high.
Once someone got to know me they would tell me I’m funny. I used my sense of humor as my way of coping. I also used it to develop self-confidence.
The audiences’ response to my stand-up boosted my self-confidence. Being sought by agents boosted my self-confidence. Improvising – thinking on my feet while on stage – boosts my self-confidence. There is still some shyness, but I’ve come a long way.
P!nk, the artist born Alecia Moore, turns 35 today. A song she started writing about her husband turned into a message for those suffering from depression stemming from low self-esteem – “don’t you ever, ever feel like you’re less than fucking perfect.” “Fuckin’ Perfect” reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. That song is amongst the ten P!nk performances that form today’s playlist.
Click here to like Tunes du Jour on Facebook!