You Can't Spell Improve Without Improv

While Justin Gregg is an animal psychology professor, his true passion comes from something outside of the world of academia. It is this passion that in turn hones his skills for teaching and overall makes him a better professor. He started improv on a whim after moving to Antigonish ten years ago. Yet what he discovered was a psychological resilience he developed through pushing his mental limits and self-consciousness.  

Although improv can be “terrible and not particularly funny”, Gregg claims it’s this very unpredictability that creates more depth than just simple comedy. While you may discard improv as a skill, it is a harmless opportunity to free you from your inhibitions.  

Gregg finds improv is especially capable of improving both social and business skills. Issues like loneliness and social anxiety that prevent you from meeting people could be eradicated by the opportunity to pretend to be someone else. After an exciting conversation, it appears that it’s a common misconception that it takes a great extrovert to perform in front of people. But it just might be social anxieties that make a superb improvisor. 

 The list of core skills applicable through improv goes on and on. Whether it’s saying “yes, and” to new ideas, feeling freedom through failure, or being honest about not knowing things, it is almost impossible to gain nothing from trying improv. Professor Gregg explains that humans like to keep life predictable; they avoid change. The natural pressure that comes with improv forces participants to be unafraid of failure. It’s common to try something and be humiliated if it doesn’t work. But, after a while, your brain stops noticing your failures and instead starts thinking of ways to carry on. 

As a professor, Gregg says improv “makes me braver.” He explains that most professors are actually introverts. But what he discovered is that teaching itself is a form of improvisation. “You are a version of yourself when teaching and doing improv, both performing for a crowd” he explains. 

Gregg explains that his improv group of seven or so struggles to find a routine place where they can practice. Even without a dedicated meeting spot, this group maintains their commitment to their craft. Hopefully, an influx of students trying out improv for self-betterment can transform improv into a prominent art form within the Antigonish community.  

Whether it’s “yes, and” or a game where you can only speak languages limited to five words, improv works with your cognitive flexibility. Being impervious to embarrassment is an asset to making connections and being social. Gregg explains that as a professor, he loves when students shamelessly ask questions. From experiencing social anxiety himself to watching his students experience it, it strengthens his stance: improv can change your life.