Your Improv Brain
BookmarkJen deHaan
Your Improv Brain is a arts podcast hosted by Jen deHaan. It has 46 episodes, with the latest published April 2026.
Your Improv Brain is a show that helps you understand your brain (and body!) to be a happier, better performer. I'll also explore the intersection of improv comedy, neurodivergence, and the science of performance. Episodes cover how different brain types, including neurodivergent and neurotypical minds, experience comedy and performance. The show discusses creating supportive environments and understanding cognitive differences in improv practice.Your Improv Brain also explores how neurodivergence, including ADHD and autism, impacts how we learn, coach, and perform. Host Jen deHaan - who is certifying in multiple programs based on nervous system regulation - gets into the science of why we freeze up on stage, how to find flow state, and using nervous system regulation tools to become a more resilient improviser and actor.Why this show is for youWhether you are neurodivergent or neurotypical, this show provides a neuroinclusive lens on the creative process. We move beyond "yes and" t
arts ·en ·46 episodes
Get better at improv by getting better at getting feedback (really! seriously!)
One skill at a time: a rep-based approach to changing improv habits
Your brain knows when you're lying to it, so build an evidence archive
Special: How well do you actually know your improv teammates (offstage skill building)
Metacognition and improv: how to use your monitoring brain in a scene
Trailer for Your Improv Brain (2026)
Improv initiations: when to start big and when to stay grounded
Your brain went blank? Try this scene start instead
Assume, don't ask: how to start better improv scenes
You don't need backstory: starting scenes in the middle
Five Vocal Exercises for Better Improv Characters
Own Your Weirdness: A Guide to Really Good Improv (Performances)
Four Ways to Give your Characters a Clear Point of View
The Power of Silence: 3 Exercises to Improve Your Acting
3-Step System & Exercise to Manage Self-Criticism in Improv
An Improv Workout: 6 Exercises to Build Your "Failure Muscle"
Clear Mind = Get Out of Your Head in Improv
Fail More to Learn More (Plus Seven Hacks to Help!)
Improving Communication Skills So You Can Improvise With Anyone
Mind Blank on Stage? A 3-Step Reboot for Your Brain
The Pain of Learning Improv: What to Assess, How to Respond
A Source of Great Improv Ideas (bonus: Get Out of Your Head)
Improv Burnout? Prioritize Yourself for Better Improv Performances
Beyond "React Like Yourself" - Level Up Your Grounded Improv Characters
Is an inner monologue useful for improv comedy? (ft. NYC improviser Sabrina Banes)
Suggestions for Protecting Your Mind While Doing Comedy
Inclusive and beneficial icebreaker exercises for performers
Emotional Processing, Acting, and Improv (Alexithymia) - Part 2
Emotional Processing, Acting, and Improv (Alexithymia) - Part 1
Giving Notes and Feedback to Comedy Students - Part 3
Getting Notes and Feedback You Don’t Understand - Part 2
Getting Feedback & Giving Notes in Comedy Classes - Part 1
Visual Imagery and Improv: How it Affects Memory and Recall
How Neurodiversity Affects Improv And Comedy: Being Misunderstood
Communication in Improv Scenes: Finding the unusual thing
Neurodiversity and Observation: How it can improve your scenes
Your visual Imagination & how it affects improv scenes
Masking and Improv Comedy: Being the voice of reason
How to Commit: Honouring YOUR unique brain in improv
Fast and Slow Edit Moves in Long Form Improv Comedy
Masking and Improv: Character Matching (Peas in a Pod) Scenes
The Intersection of Misophonia & Improv with Sabrina Banes
Top-down thinking in improv (for bottom-up thinkers)
How Bottom Up Thinking can Affect Dealing with Plots in Improv
Thoughts On Being Perceived (on the Improv Stage & In Class)
What is Neurodivergence and How it's Relevant to Improv Comedy
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