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PODCAST

Your Improv Brain: Neurodiversity, nervous system regulation, and comedy

Jen deHaan: Improv Comedy Performer & Writer

Your Improv Brain: The cognitive side of comedy, performance, and neurodiversity. Do you want to understand the brain-body connection behind great comedy? Your improv brain explores how neurodiversity, including ADHD and autism, impacts how we learn, coach, and perform. Host Jen deHaan digs into the science of why we freeze up on stage, how to find flow state, and using nervous system regulation tools to become a more resilient improviser and actor. Why this show is for you Whether you are

comedy improv

All Episodes

30:47

Alexithymia and Improv (part 2) – Ep #19

Your Improv Brain: Neurodiversity, nervous system... ·

2024/10/08

In part one of this episode series on emotions in improv, we looked at what alexithymia is, who experiences it and the variety of expression, and how it affects improv performers and the shared improv practice.This episode, part two, now explores some ideas of what students can do if they approach exercises with assigned emotions, and what teachers can do to make their classes and exercises more inclusive for those with alexithymia.References from episodeYou can find the written essay for this

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28:52

Alexithymia and Improv (part 1) - Ep #18

Your Improv Brain: Neurodiversity, nervous system... ·

2024/09/24

Alexithymia involves how a person identifies and experiences emotions, so it has a lot to do with an improv practice. Part one of this two part episode series explores what alexithymia is, how it affects improv, and suggests some ways to practice improv if you experience it. Part two, released in two weeks, covers some ideas of what students can do if they approach exercises with assigned emotions, and what teachers can do to make their classes and exercises more inclusive for those with

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30:15

Giving Notes to Students (part 3) - Ep #17

Your Improv Brain: Neurodiversity, nervous system... ·

2024/09/10

Notes (feedback) can be confusing for some student performers because of communication differences. This episode discusses what teachers can do to help improve and resolve some of the typical communication issues around questions and notes.Why can’t a student just ask for clarification? That can be loaded in some improv cultures (for now), and as such it can put a lot of burden on some students. Classes can be structured to make this a bit easier for everyone, while also still maintaining structure

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29:31

Getting Notes You Don't Understand (part 2) - Ep #16

Your Improv Brain: Neurodiversity, nervous system... ·

2024/08/27

Welcome to part two of this three-part series of episodes about receiving notes as neurodivergent improvisers. (Note: This episode is offered as an early release to supporters, and opens up to everyone on August 27! )Getting notes can be hard for students, particularly when there is a communication gap between neurotype. This episode lists five reasons students might have to make this part of a session difficult, and some things students can try to make the process a little bit easier.Resources

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30:37

Getting & Giving Notes (part 1) - Ep #15

Your Improv Brain: Neurodiversity, nervous system... ·

2024/08/13

This three-part series of episodes is about receiving notes as a neurodivergent improviser. This episode covers WHY getting notes is hard in improv, particularly when there is a communication gap between neurotypes (such as between an autistic and allistic humans, or when verbal processing disorder exists, and so on). There’s sometimes a communication gap because different neurotypes fundamentally communicate in different ways.So this series is specifically about notes given as feedback or advice or

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3:31

Introduction to Season 2

Your Improv Brain: Neurodiversity, nervous system... ·

2024/07/30

Welcome back, improvisers! Season 2 of the Neurodiversity and Improv podcast is coming your way. Every two weeks you can expect a new episode about the intersection of neurotypes and learning/performing improv. We’ll be starting with a three part series on getting Notes as a neurodivergent improviser. This is a very common request from improvisers I’ve spoken with regarding this podcast. And the first three episodes of the new season will be all about this topic.Note: You can find the full

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31:38

Episode 14: Visual Imagery and Improv - Memory and...

Your Improv Brain: Neurodiversity, nervous system... ·

2024/03/07

Most humans have some amount of mental imagery, or visual imagery. You might find that you use the visuals to help you build and remember improv scenes. The extreme ends are considered to be neurodivergence (they are called hyperphantasia and aphantasia), but regardless of what or how much you have you can do great improv.Thanks for reading Improv and Neurodiversity - The FlatImprov Podcast Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.For more information see “part 1” of

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32:36

Episode 13: Improv and Being Misunderstood, Part 1.

Your Improv Brain: Neurodiversity, nervous system... ·

2024/02/21

Neurodivergent humans might communicate in a different way, a way that is difficult for neurotypical humans to understand. Different social communication styles not necessarily a deficit, and it’s not a pathology - it’s a difference. However, having difficulty communicating in a way other people understand it can be frustrating and isolating. Because we’re misunderstood. And we don’t want to be! And it’s often why we mask.There’s scientific study regarding being misunderstood too! In this episode

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40:46

Episode 12: Finding the unusual thing (and...

Your Improv Brain: Neurodiversity, nervous system... ·

2024/02/05

Last week I promised an episode about finding the unusual thing: how you find what’s weird at the top of a scene when you’re setting up the base reality that leads to the game. And here is that episode.Communication is a challenge in improv, especially when we have different neurotypes playing together (which is probably… always). Our cognitive wiring is a fundamental difference between us, and at times it can lead to communication challenges especially when we need to agree on something important

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38:17

Episode 11: Neurodivergent observation makes improv...

Your Improv Brain: Neurodiversity, nervous system... ·

2024/01/29

I had A WEEK. So you’re getting AN EP that gets real. So this week I experienced something related to last week’s episode (ep 10). I wrote all of the notes for an episode about finding the unusual thing as a neurodivergent improviser. But you’re getting that one next week, friend, because I’ve been thinking about this stuff instead.And you know what happens when we get all focused on a subject. Well… this.So this week I’m talking about how we observe small details, things many others don’t notice,

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43:59

Episode 10: Hyperphantasia, Visual Imagination & Improv

Your Improv Brain: Neurodiversity, nervous system... ·

2024/01/22

So in this episode you learn about the spectrum of visual imagination, from lots to none, and explore how you imagine visual details in improv. I cover what the spectrum of phantasia is, from hyperphantasia to aphantasia, then go into how it affects improv. How you visually process details in a scene are not just important for exploring the environment, scene painting, or describing an object (the obvious parts). You can also use it to create characters or incorporate an emotion. Flash memory-ing an

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40:43

Episode 9: Masking and Improv - Being the voice of...

Your Improv Brain: Neurodiversity, nervous system... ·

2024/01/15

Masking is a common behaviour for autistic and/or ADHD people. It’s a trait that can be subconscious or conscious, and one we take on to suppress natural reactions, responses, physicality or expressions. This, of course, can affect how we position ourselves in scenes if we are trying to be the voice of reason and respond naturally and honestly.Thanks for reading Improv and Neurodiversity - The FlatImprov Podcast Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.Masking can help

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27:40

Episode 8: Committing to YOUR weird brain in improv

Your Improv Brain: Neurodiversity, nervous system... ·

2024/01/08

We’ve all heard those sayings like “do not compare your chapter 1 to their chapter 6.” But that can be pretty hard to do. Especially when we get notes that relate to our brain wiring! Maybe we’re reading from, or writing, a completely different book. It can be hard when our brains are so different in a word that’s constructed for a different (neurotypical) wiring altogether. And here we are up on a stage with everyone watching us. Yikes.But… it’s possible to find our own way, with what we got, and

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35:41

Episode 7: Fast and Slow Edit Moves in Improv

Your Improv Brain: Neurodiversity, nervous system... ·

2024/01/01

This episode was inspired by a discussion I had with another improviser about fast and slow edit moves. They were told by a teammate to edit faster. The answer I gave them was a bit of an opinionated monologue infodump, and I was told I should turn that monologue into a podcast. So here we are. What we're talking about today is edit moves, with focus on the speed of those edit moves and what it might have to do with your neurotype (ALL neurotypes. This means YOU.) That once you are confident and

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29:37

Episode 6: Masking and Improv - Peas in a Pod Scenes

Your Improv Brain: Neurodiversity, nervous system... ·

2023/12/18

Masking is a common behaviour for autistic and/or ADHD people (or those of us who are both). It's sometimes referred to as camouflaging, mimicking, or being a social chameleon. You might mask subconsciously - you might not even realize you do it! But it's essentially suppressing your natural reactions, responses, physicality or expressions in order to hide some of your natural behaviours or instincts. Your first reaction.Masking can help you fit in with the crowd, make social connections, or avoid

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51:39

Episode 5: On Misophonia & Improv with Sabrina Banes

Your Improv Brain: Neurodiversity, nervous system... ·

2023/12/11

Very excited about this ep! This week I am joined by Sabrina Banes, an improviser who has a condition called misophonia.Sabrina Banes is an improviser and Tarot reader who lives in Brooklyn with her two cats, Shumai and Althea. She currently performs with her longform indie teams, Jace Spam and Dolly Lana, and with her Improv College narrative house team, Oops! We Fell In Love. Find Sabrina online: Instagram and Linktree.In this episode we discuss what misophonia is like to experience, how it

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25:46

Episode 4: Top-down thinking in improv for bottom-up...

Your Improv Brain: Neurodiversity, nervous system... ·

2023/12/04

If you are a bottom-up thinker, there are certain techniques in long-form improv that might work better if you try to do top-down thinking instead. Why would you do such a thing? And When?Game and second beats might be challenging to a bottom-up thinker. You need to get used to wrapping up a bunch of details into a single idea, gist, or synopsis regardless of what direction you think in. The synopsis is where top-down thinkers start! Maybe it’s faster doing top down for this?This episode includes a

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25:53

Episode 3: Bottom Up Thinking & Plots in Improv

Your Improv Brain: Neurodiversity, nervous system... ·

2023/11/27

Bottom-up thinking or bottom-up processing is common way for autistics to process information. It’s wired into our brains and affects EVERYTHING. How does this type of thinking affect doing improv scenes, especially when it comes to plots? In particular… when you weren’t expecting a plot, and suddenly things get plotty? Bottom-up thinking affects how we follow sets, pull in information, process, and make decisions. So if we’re trying to follow plotlines but are focused on the details before the big

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42:00

Episode 2: On Being Perceived (on the Improv Stage &...

Your Improv Brain: Neurodiversity, nervous system... ·

2023/11/20

The sense of being perceived is all about the activity you are doing when you are being looked at by other people. Having strong feelings about this kind of perception is common particularly with the autistic neurotype. And it can sure seem illogical or contradictory at times, too.And… people look at you in improv… a lot! Learn about what being perceived means to neurodivergent improvisers. What is it? How does being perceived work for humans in an improv class, and on an improv stage? What could

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15:08

What is neurodivergence?

Your Improv Brain: Neurodiversity, nervous system... ·

2023/11/12

This episode details what neurodivergence is, and why it’s relevant to improv. I include a couple of examples in there. Check out the transcript tab on this page to see the text version of this episode. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jendehaan.substack.com

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