I taught a class this term. An introduction to improv. At the end of the class, a few students; more than one, one would have been enough for this to be significant, but a few, mentioned that as a result of taking this class, they were feeling more “like themselves” than they had in a long time. They’d lost that feeling and this improv class brought them back home in themselves again.

I remember that reconnection.

I was in Ottawa after having completed my degree and a few work terms at various government departments and agencies. I’d become a serious political science major on a career path in the public service. I was losing, at least between 9-5 anyway, my sense of creativity and playfulness. I think I thought I was losing childish notions and this is what it meant to become an adult.

I reconnected with improv in Ottawa with a great little group of performers. After shedding a bit of the anxiety of meeting new people, I started to feel more comfortable in myself again, which thankfully set met on the path to now having the joyful privilege of watching folks like the students in my most recent class experience this reconnection in their own selves.

Over time though, and through a particularly transitional year I’ve been having, I feel like I’m once again losing touch with my own sense of creativity and playfulness. Assuming the role of teacher and director, I no longer have as many opportunities to play as I once had.

With the exception of one class in the new year, I want to take a short break from teaching and directing. I want to reconnect with my identify as a performer and writer. I want to follow that path and see where it leads. Hopefully back to big silly amounts of bursting joy. I’m sure the two roads will connect again soon down the path. But in the meantime, I’m deviating.

Have you ever had to stop on one path and try to make your way back to the one that feels more you? I’d love to hear about it.