I don’t know about you, but I’m always hard on myself two days of the year – on my birthday and on New Year’s Day. Those are the days when the inner critic takes over and starts telling me all the things “I should have done” over the past year. Does this sound familiar? If you’re a stage improviser, the inner critic might sit on your shoulder after every performance. But, what if … just what if we use the spirit of improv to approach the New Year with the inner critic as our friend rather than foe? Let’s give it a whirl …
Highlights from my 2016 year in review:
- Improv – It was an amazing year of improv in my new town as I launched an improv training center at Limelight Theatre. In doing so, I touched people in the community from ages 4 – 92 via improv playshops in schools, libraries, rotary clubs, senior centers, community centers, business communities, yoga communities, women’s communities, etc. My show, It’s All About Amy played in the Palm Beach Improv Festival and the Tampa Bay Improv Festival. It also appeared in Myrtle Beach, Orlando, Jacksonville and St. Augustine with talented rotating partners. My other show, 3 Blind Dates, played to sold-out audiences in Jacksonville and St. Augustine. And, this new improv community in St. Augustine is growing as more people are embracing the “yes, and …” concept of improv on stage, and, in life.
- Travel – My adventures took me all over Florida – to Orlando, Naples, St. Petersburg, Marianna, Miami Beach, West Palm Beach and the Florida Keys. Road trips outside of the state took me up the Eastern Seaboard to Savannah and Tybee Island, Myrtle Beach and the Outer Banks. Air travel enabled me to be on two beaches in one day – twice! Once I ended up at the Jersey shore as a side trip when going home to Philadelphia. And the other took me to Manzanita, Oregon as a side trip when going to the World Domination Summit in Portland. Imagine starting your day on the Atlantic and ending it on the Pacific!
- (My New) Life in St. Augustine – My house is 489 steps from the beach! I literally see the ocean every single day. The town is filled with locally owned and operated businesses and I’m enjoying more of these businesses – and their owners – the longer I’m here. No matter which direction I go from my house, I enjoy gorgeous views. The views are so amazing that sometimes I even miss them when I travel.
Now let’s invite the inner critic …
- Improv – I don’t know what I was thinking when I decided to move to a town where I know no one to start a community around an unknown art form. This is hard. I might be touching a lot of people on their personal and professional journeys, but a performance community is still in seedling stage. This is really hard.
- Travel – In 2015 I booked 24 flights – 22 of them were free because I had collected so many credit card points and airline miles. I zigzagged all over the place, and in doing so, I taught other people how to be better travel hackers. This year I can barely get out of Florida. My trip to Peru was cancelled. My trips to Honduras and Mexico didn’t materialize. My passport is dusty. Could I be a has-been traveler?
- (My New) Life in St. Augustine – The beach 489 steps from my house is completely eroded. There’s no nightlife – or even a coffee shop – in Vilano Beach. I clearly chose the quiet, environmentally challenged side of town. Plus, all of us business owners are so busy we don’t spend enough time enjoying downtown – or each other. And, I think the views on the way to downtown are seducing me so I stop traveling – I won’t even know how to act in a big city when I get back to one.
UGH! What’s happening? Same year in review highlights, but very different perspectives – one with the inner critic and one without. Which one is correct?
Both!
Every aspect of life has a positive angle and a negative angle. Our inner critic never really goes away, so those feelings we have are real in the moment we experience them. So what to do – especially on New Year’s Day?
Embrace the improv mindset and accept that both are real and valid and then make a conscious choice to listen to your heart and move the scene of life forward. As long as we’re moving forward we’re winning – at life, at love and everything in between.
“You’ll never find peace of mind until you listen to your heart.“
– George Michael (1963 – 2016)
UPCOMING PLACES TO FIND THE IMPROV MINDSET:
SHOWCASE: Street Improv at First Friday Artwalk
Friday, January 6th
6 – 9 p.m. at Aviles Street in St. Augustine
Imagine showing up at your favorite community event and being able to jump into an improv game – or two … or even three! That’s Street Improv! No theatre needed. We play games with each other and the public and spread the joy and magic of improv as we do.
SHOWCASE + PLAYSHOP: Improv Playground
Sunday, January 8th
6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at Limelight Theatre
Announcing, new for 2017, the Improv Playgound! What’s the Playground? It’s:
community improv showcase + community improv games
And, it’s ALL fun! Do you like to watch improv? Do you like to play improv games? We have BOTH opportunities for you! In the first half of the Playground, you’ll enjoy a showcase featuring some of our community’s improv players, then, we’ll lead improv games for everyone. Watch. Play. Watch AND play. It’s up to you!
CLASS: Level 1 – Improv Basics
Tuesdays, February 7th – April 4th
(No class on March 14th.)
6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at Limelight Theatre
Throughout this 8-week course, students will explore the basic concepts of improvisation in a warm, safe and supportive environment. The class is designed to build self-confidence and explore creativity using the fundamentals of improvisation.
CLASS: Level 2 – Advanced Improv 
Mondays, February 6th – April 3rd
(No class on March 13th.)
6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at Limelight Theatre
CLASS: Level 5 – Lowdown on Long Form
Wednesdays, February 8th – April 5th
(No class on March 15th.)
7 – 9 p.m. at Limelight Theatre
RETREAT: Flight Plan for Life
April 25th – 29th
Akumal, Mexico
Flight Plan is a 5 day, 4 night retreat for women lead by award winning author, speaker and all around inspirational woman, Mary Carwile. As a retired flight attendant, Mary will serve as your Pilot on this spiritual flight inward. Using airline metaphors, props (pun intended) and the three phases of flight (take off, flight/turbulence and landing), Mary takes you skyward on a path–a flight plan–for your life. Amy Angelilli, your Chief Adventure Officer, will be part of your crew.
Please visit The Adventure Project’s calendar and play retreat page for more details.
