The Value of Risk-Taking (And Risk-Tasting)
I climbed up the steps, glanced at the show order, brushed past the curtain, and went out on the stage with absolutely nothing prepared. You don’t have to read that over again; you read it right the first time. I stood in my high school auditorium blanker than a freshly printed scantron. My palms were sweaty. My bumps were goosing. The spotlight was roasting me like a pig, making me a sacrificial offering to the gods sitting in the audience seats.
I auditioned for the Crystal Lake Central Laughletes, an improv team, on a whim, and felt surprised when I made the team as a sophomore. I was sixteen and had a good grasp on humor. However, with no comedic experience, I felt all sorts of silly—and not in the good way. Improv comedy has everything to do with pulling something out of nothing, and being a part of the improv team had me pulling more rabbits out of hats than ever before. Freeing those rabbits from their magical confines was risky, but rewarding.
Putting myself on stage was putting myself at risk for embarrassment and social shame, but I am so glad that I gave it a chance. I put on a great show with a great team, and didn’t make a complete fool of myself. More than having all sorts of fun, I had an eye-opening experience. Being able to think on my feet and keep a story going, adding beats, and sprinkling some humor on top –all improv skills— were all vital things to learn for more than just improv.
I use those skills in my daily life. For example, let’s say I’m in a job interview. My interviewer asks me a question that I don’t know the answer to. Instead of spilling out an answer that doesn’t make any sense, I rely on my skills. I produce some sort of answer that at least slightly answers the question, add something interesting about myself, and get the interviewer laughing at the end. That’s just one example of the ways that improv skills help me.
Improv has also helped me in another way; I took a risk. I put myself out there. I rolled the dice on whether people would be laughing with me, or laughing at me. Putting myself in an uncomfortable situation with a hard time of predicting the outcome was daunting, and luckily for me, rewarding.
Through risk taking, I gained some wonderful friends, fostered my love for performance, and built an indispensable skill set. If I had let all the uncertainty scare me away, I would’ve let all those rewards slip through my fingers. Risks should be taken by everyone. I’m not saying that life should be solely composed of risks, but like humor, sprinkle some on top. Life’s a lot tastier that way.
Trevor Bryan is a first-year at Grand Valley, and he’s loved every minute of it. From PRSSA to Grand PR, the school has provided ample opportunity to explore his major. Trevor is an Advertising and Public Relations major with a Public Relations emphasis, and he’s also pursuing a Writing minor. When Trevor isn’t tweeting up a storm or tearing up the PRSSA podcast, PR Hangover, he loves to decompress with friends and laugh the night away.