The 12 lessons I learned from my teachers

Do you remember that one great teacher from your past?

And that one thing they said, that you always remembered?

When I pondered over this question, it wasn’t actually just one. My list of teachers kept growing. And with it, the list of lessons I learned.

In all those many workshops, classes, rehearsals, or just memories of working together on a show, I took something away for myself. Maybe they never even said any of these words. But years later, this is what I remember.

I summarized the countless things I learned about performing into this list of 12 teachers, 12 lessons:

Silvia W.: Dancing is for the joy of it.
Ron H.: Explore the stage.
Sven L.: Just do it.
Jochem M.: Fun connects people.
Patti S.: Inspiring my partner is all I need to not fear on stage.
Gerald W.: Take improv seriously.
Tim O.: There is saying yes. And there is truly saying yes.
Anja S. B.: Formats are an infinite source of inspiration.
Inbal L.: Have an opinion.
Daniel O.: Fear is my friend.
Kiki H.: Feminism is part of life, and therefore improv.
Gael D.-P.: I am brilliant.

Seeing this list makes me freaking grateful for all the people I got to meet along the way.

And I can also see how I needed to learn some lessons in the order they came in. (That is why number 12 is still a work in progress)

Okay, now you!

Do this exercise yourself. You don’t have to share it with anyone (though I always love hearing from you!). Write down a teacher. Or a lesson. Whichever comes first.

Who taught you the things that you believe to be (improv) truths? And if you would have to phrase it in 1 concise sentence, what is that lesson? (<— this is the real exercise)

Write down 3. Or 12. Or however many.

As a bonus exercise: look at all the lessons, and evaluate whether all of these lessons together reflect you.

If not: what is missing, and who taught you that? (Sometimes the answer is: yourself)