Kate Mosher

Transcript

it was the best $300 I have ever spent online making the decision was torture part of me wanted to stay small to hide another part was curious about what would happen if I tried I must have Googled the class description a hundred times improv for beginners the art of saying yes and no plan no script very few rules this was totally new for me I have two small children a partner who travels a lot sometimes it feels like my life is spent following a rule book here was this quiet part tugging at me to sign up to inhabit a space long forgotten to Motherhood we

are all made up of parts some parts are loud and totally focused on keeping us safe other parts want to play create feel Joy there was a quiet curious part of me that wanted to get up on stage even though I had no experience I am a proud Elder Millennial I Rainbow Bright the new kids and my totally awesome Sticker Collection but the messages on my mixtape sucked don't take up space be chill pretty you don't deserve attention add being fat at a time size zero was the beauty standard for women it was all I could do to fade in the background but the messages

coming from the cultural boom box were the opposite to what I felt inside it was those tender deep in the pit of my stomach Parts Whispering yes late at night with my nursing baby in my arms I clicked purchase class starts at 700 I will go in at 6:59 I sit in my minivan spiraling I hate this shirt why did I wear this should I bring a pen and paper no it's not a notetaking kind of class Maybe I can get a refund gripping the steering wheel I start to understand two things can be true at the same time I can be afraid and curious

I get out of my car moving towards my curiosity with my fear in toe I walk into the theater finding a seat at the edge of the room the teacher begins to speak speak and time blurs then I hear my name it's my turn wearing nursing pads hoping my boobs don't leak getting up in front of a group of strangers wanting to be seen to see myself I practice yes and over and over again I laugh I try and I try harder I can feel my classmates cheering me on reminding me that we're all made up of parts I can feel something shift deep down

inside driving home my cheeks hurt from smiling I didn't die people laughed my boobs didn't leak I feel trust in myself for listening to that quiet part sure it was a tiny thing an impro class and it was the start of a practice that changed my life the power of saying yes to those quiet Parts in the micro moments builds trust with ourselves so we can show up more fully in the world adding new tracks to our mixtape that don't suck you got this let's see what happens take up space the story my parts had told me about the fear about the wh ifs they

didn't come true and they didn't go away a part of me is having a hard time right now the same part that wanted a refund it's still here I'm just more gentle with it I'll show you how hello again I know you are worried I am going to fail spectacularly it's a big deal to be up on this stage I know you want to keep me safe let's finish this together okay a decade ago I said yes to my curiosity pushing me out of my minivan and ultimately onto this stage we are all made up of parts maybe if we make the space to listen

the world would be a gentler Place imagine the possibilities if each of us here tonight said the quiet Parts loud

Transcript generated from the recording and lightly cleaned. Some names and wording may differ from the spoken speech.