As I am doing improv, with that come slightly unexpected lessons learned. Yes, they are important for improv, but they are equally useful or even eye-opening for the rest of your life. One of those for me is “play the reality“. When used for improv, it essentially means that you should make this relatable and show it as it is. But for the life outside of improv… for me, it means seeing things as they are instead of reinviting stories and assumptions that might not be true.

At improv, “playing the reality” is one of the core principles when building a scene. Because if you try to overcomplicate things, you, your partner, and the audience will be lost. Reality is funny enough, and you don’t need to overcomplicate it to get a laugh. And it goes from simple things as holding a phone as you would be holding it instead of two fingers spread out, to more complex things, like if someone asks what your shoe size is, don’t pretend you are at a car shop. Because bridging between those two things will be unnecessarily difficult, and there are plenty of things happening already. “Playing the reality” helps you, your partner, and the audience to connect, as our life has plenty of funny shit. We are just too busy to notice it once in a while.

As on stage, it is the same as off stage – we tend to overcomplicate our realities, and we invent things and stories that actually were never true. I have invented a story that I am weak and fragile. That I am not worthy of love, and I am essentially alone in life. But the moment I start playing the reality, I realize how rich I am. Not in money or property, but in humans, friendships. I have the whole freaking village behind me. The only problem is that this village is sometimes hidden. I also believe that strong women (or humans for that matter) should always be strong; there is no room for weakness. But the reality is life is not black or white. There are plenty of colors, and there are days when sometimes we are stronger, and there are days when… well, we are just potatoes on the couch. Being one doesn’t deny the other. So, for me, playing reality means being me instead of imagining a version of me that I think would be more interesting, funny, or more whatever. I am more than enough. And I could be even funnier if I stopped squeezing myself in a box that is the wrong color or fit. My reality is quick, simple, and full of contradictions. My reality is being all strong boss lady outside the house and 5y 5-year-old who cries on the floor if there is no food, almost immediately after crossing the threshold of my home.

But it is not only about me, but it also works how I see the rest of the world. I can imagine that a friend hates me or that someone did something on purpose. Or I can just play the reality and ask. Sometimes, the truth is not as complicated as we imagine. Sometimes the simplest explanation is the right explanation – maybe a person was tired, or had things on their plate. It’s not always (or rather rarely) about us and much more often about a hundred million things that are happening in other people’s lives. Let’s be honest – we are not unique. Other people deal with the same shit that we do. So, why can’t their reality be equally mundane just like ours is?

I love improv because while it teaches me to play and create imaginary worlds, get out of my head, and invent characters, it also teaches me how to be me with those simple lessons. It teaches how to play my reality, and it’s pretty freaking amazing. Most importantly, it teaches me how to be present and simple, because there is no time to create a Mexican telenovela within thirty seconds, or if you are lucky, five minutes.

So, my question to you, dear Universe and anyone out there – what is your reality?