Your Improv Brain

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 couple different examples of when I think I probably take more of a top-down approach as a life-long bottom-up thinker.

I also detail a pretty quick way to do a second beat using a form of visual thinking (hyperphantasia), since we were talking about it. Selfish tangent, that, maybe. But it’s in there too.

Download the Free Post-Show Reflection Guide: Sent to your inbox when you subscribe to either newsletter (and added to the footer to each message if you're already subscribed).

NEW! Comprehensive guides all about getting notes as a student, or giving them as a teacher. Two guides, big discount if you get both! https://yourimprovbrain.com/notes

Get a booklet with six exercises to help you get reps in challenging scenes called "Exercises to Ruin You"

Get more downloadable booklets here: https://yourimprovbrain.com/shop

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It helps out! Thanks!

• Like this episode or show and want more? Support us with a one-time tip: https://learn.improvupdate.com/products/support
• We love our podcast host Capitvate.fm! Contact to ask me anything, anytime. You can support the shows by signing up with Captivate here: https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=yzjiytz
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• Support the show and get creative templates and assets: https://share.uppbeat.io/p4od8inwhc2j

This podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. Jen has certifications related to healthy communities (Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy), nervous system regulation and soon teacher training certification on community resilience. She has a BFA in teaching creative arts to adults. You can find her full bio here.

This podcast was written, recorded and edited in British Columbia, Canada by Jen.

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 plot picture… what happens now?

I talk about these things in this episode.

NICHE TOPICS! GRANULAR TOPICS! I GOT ‘EM!

Also I think I sound rather Canadian-accent in this episode! Nailed it, even, maybe?

Download the Free Post-Show Reflection Guide: Sent to your inbox when you subscribe to either newsletter (and added to the footer to each message if you're already subscribed).

NEW! Comprehensive guides all about getting notes as a student, or giving them as a teacher. Two guides, big discount if you get both! https://yourimprovbrain.com/notes

Get a booklet with six exercises to help you get reps in challenging scenes called "Exercises to Ruin You"

Get more downloadable booklets here: https://yourimprovbrain.com/shop

Please consider leaving a review wherever you review podcasts. Don't know where? Here are some options.

Apple Podcasts | Podchaser

It helps out! Thanks!

• Like this episode or show and want more? Support us with a one-time tip: https://learn.improvupdate.com/products/support
• We love our podcast host Capitvate.fm! Contact to ask me anything, anytime. You can support the shows by signing up with Captivate here: https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=yzjiytz
• We have our newsletters on Kit.com. We also have our tip form with them, and sell products on their platform. Easy, and they don't take a cut! Check Kit out and support the show using this: https://partners.kit.com/ijdkivtf8ndd
• Transcriptions by MacWhisper. I use and love the Pro version (subscription free!) - you can get it too using this link: https://gumroad.com/a/20303251/ivpqk
• Schedule posts? We use Metricool (reasonable for multiple accounts/brands/shows). Support us using our link: https://f.mtr.cool/VZBOZR
• Support the show and get creative templates and assets: https://share.uppbeat.io/p4od8inwhc2j

This podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. Jen has certifications related to healthy communities (Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy), nervous system regulation and soon teacher training certification on community resilience. She has a BFA in teaching creative arts to adults. You can find her full bio here.

This podcast was written, recorded and edited in British Columbia, Canada by Jen.

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 make being perceived easier?

I didn't think most of these podcast eps will be this long. Yikes.

Download the Free Post-Show Reflection Guide: Sent to your inbox when you subscribe to either newsletter (and added to the footer to each message if you're already subscribed).

NEW! Comprehensive guides all about getting notes as a student, or giving them as a teacher. Two guides, big discount if you get both! https://yourimprovbrain.com/notes

Get a booklet with six exercises to help you get reps in challenging scenes called "Exercises to Ruin You"

Get more downloadable booklets here: https://yourimprovbrain.com/shop

Please consider leaving a review wherever you review podcasts. Don't know where? Here are some options.

Apple Podcasts | Podchaser

It helps out! Thanks!

• Like this episode or show and want more? Support us with a one-time tip: https://learn.improvupdate.com/products/support
• We love our podcast host Capitvate.fm! Contact to ask me anything, anytime. You can support the shows by signing up with Captivate here: https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=yzjiytz
• We have our newsletters on Kit.com. We also have our tip form with them, and sell products on their platform. Easy, and they don't take a cut! Check Kit out and support the show using this: https://partners.kit.com/ijdkivtf8ndd
• Transcriptions by MacWhisper. I use and love the Pro version (subscription free!) - you can get it too using this link: https://gumroad.com/a/20303251/ivpqk
• Schedule posts? We use Metricool (reasonable for multiple accounts/brands/shows). Support us using our link: https://f.mtr.cool/VZBOZR
• Support the show and get creative templates and assets: https://share.uppbeat.io/p4od8inwhc2j

This podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. Jen has certifications related to healthy communities (Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy), nervous system regulation and soon teacher training certification on community resilience. She has a BFA in teaching creative arts to adults. You can find her full bio here.

This podcast was written, recorded and edited in British Columbia, Canada by Jen.

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 to see the text version of this episode.

Note: This is a very old episode! I have since renamed the show, and updated the format quite a bit.

Download the Free Post-Show Reflection Guide: Sent to your inbox when you subscribe to either newsletter (and added to the footer to each message if you're already subscribed).

NEW! Comprehensive guides all about getting notes as a student, or giving them as a teacher. Two guides, big discount if you get both! https://yourimprovbrain.com/notes

Get a booklet with six exercises to help you get reps in challenging scenes called "Exercises to Ruin You"

Get more downloadable booklets here: https://yourimprovbrain.com/shop

Please consider leaving a review wherever you review podcasts. Don't know where? Here are some options.

Apple Podcasts | Podchaser

It helps out! Thanks!

• Like this episode or show and want more? Support us with a one-time tip: https://learn.improvupdate.com/products/support
• We love our podcast host Capitvate.fm! Contact to ask me anything, anytime. You can support the shows by signing up with Captivate here: https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=yzjiytz
• We have our newsletters on Kit.com. We also have our tip form with them, and sell products on their platform. Easy, and they don't take a cut! Check Kit out and support the show using this: https://partners.kit.com/ijdkivtf8ndd
• Transcriptions by MacWhisper. I use and love the Pro version (subscription free!) - you can get it too using this link: https://gumroad.com/a/20303251/ivpqk
• Schedule posts? We use Metricool (reasonable for multiple accounts/brands/shows). Support us using our link: https://f.mtr.cool/VZBOZR
• Support the show and get creative templates and assets: https://share.uppbeat.io/p4od8inwhc2j

This podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. Jen has certifications related to healthy communities (Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy), nervous system regulation and soon teacher training certification on community resilience. She has a BFA in teaching creative arts to adults. You can find her full bio here.

This podcast was written, recorded and edited in British Columbia, Canada by Jen.