Listen Up

This was sent to me by the lovely Jessica K. and I had to share it, as I think it might resonate with many of you:

Dear Les,

Mind. Blown.

Last night [in class] kinda blew my mind. I realized that I could get the EXACT SAME laugh in the scene we were working on, whether I was throwing myself on the floor and screaming at the top of my lungs or sitting as still as a statue, with my lines barely audible. Even crazier, I often found myself at a fork in the road in the scene– I could either listen and do less (as was my instinct, believe it or not), OR I could override my instinct to listen, and choose to do a funny bit. The times I chose to listen were actually FUNNIER than the times I chose to do the funny bit. In FACT, no one laughed at the stuff I was doing to try and be funny. They did, however, laugh at the listened stuff I was 100% sure wouldn’t be funny. 

I guess I can FINALLY start trusting that listening is funnier. I mean, I knew it in theory, I’ve seen it on other people, I’ve seen it on me, but I’ve still had that little voice in my head that said, “Surely my bit is gonna be hilarious and if I don’t do that bit and JUST listen, it won’t be funny. [So I better do my bit.]”

Well, the laughs don’t lie. 

I guess I’m only listening from here on out.

You win. 🙂

xo

Jessica 

PS: Gonna go read “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” now.