Courage to Pivot: Violist with Performance Anxiety to Stand Up Comedian with Isabel Hagen

In this episode of the MindBodySpace podcast, Dr. Juna interviews Isabel Hagen, a classically trained violist turned stand-up comedian. Isabel shares her journey from rigorous training at Juilliard to performing comedy on stage, detailing her struggle with performance anxiety and her path to finding joy and resilience through comedy. They discuss the transferable skills acquired through classical music, the challenges of making career pivots, and the importance of perseverance. Isabel also talks about her latest venture into filmmaking with her semi-autobiographical movie 'On a String.' This conversation dives deep into managing performance pressure, following one's passion, and the creative processes behind comedy and music. 00:00 Introduction to the Podcast 01:01 Meet Isabel Hagen: Comedian and Violist 02:10 Journey from Viola to Comedy 04:05 The Art of Stand-Up Comedy0 4:47 Public Speaking and Performance Anxiety 07:50 Influences and Inspirations 09:42 Balancing Music and Comedy 14:52 Performance Psychology and Anxiety 19:51 Memorable First Performance 20:36 Dealing with Performance Anxiety 21:13 Comedy and Nerves 22:40 Crafting Jokes and Personal Life 25:42 Balancing Multiple Creative Pursuits 26:01 Creating a Semi-Autobiographical Movie 32:42 Advice on Pivoting Careers 35:52 Final Thoughts and Farewell