In 2013, I took two improv classes back-to-back. For 16 weeks, I learned the basics of improv and participated in two shows for family and friends.

Anyone who knew me then wondered what I was doing. I was about as shy and introverted as they come. Trying to be funny to a theater of strangers was not on anyone’s bingo card for me.

But I was a lawyer, a civil defense trial lawyer, in fact, and I had to overcome my stage fright and fear of public speaking or be relegated to a backstop role.

I tried Toastmasters. That was going well, but it felt like splashing in the kiddie pool. Improv seemed like jumping into a shark tank. I told myself I could always drop out. Just try it. And I did.

The instructor was very supportive. The other students were the same. It was a safe space, an environment where we could be our authentic selves and tap into the humor and quirkiness of our experiences.

Each course was eight weeks long — a class held for seven consecutive Tuesdays, followed by a show we put on in the eighth week. I did two rounds of this. Because of scheduling conflicts, I couldn’t stick with additional courses. (Years later, I encouraged a workmate to take improv, and she took all classes and joined their improv group. She’s a practicing lawyer by day and performs with an improv group at night.)

However, those two courses and what I learned from them have stuck with me.

First, breathe. We underestimate the power of breathing to relax us and to project our voices. We started each class with breathing and voice exercises to control our breath and projection.

Yes, and. In improv, you’re taught to take whatever the others on the stage give you. And someone says you’re eating an octopus, you don’t say, “No, I’m eating fries.” You run with eating an octopus. Often, in our cases, unexpected things happen. We can’t change the circumstances. We must “yes, and” it.

Work with what you have. You only have so much control in an improv sketch. You know the basic premise, but you have no idea what anyone else on the stage may say. You work with what you get and don’t spend a second wishing what was said or done was different. It is what it is, and you must work with it.

Thinking on your feet. Improv taught me, first and foremost, to be in the moment, sense the other improv players and the audience, and to be nimble on my feet (and with my body language and words). Learning how to react in real time is a skill we can all learn and benefit from.

Turning lemons into lemonade. Something you said may not land with the audience. You take things in a different direction. You and your troupe take a different approach. You can’t simply bow and say goodnight. The skit isn’t over. You make the best of a bad situation, much like we sometimes need to do with our cases.

Getting out of your comfort zone. Doing something like improv takes us out of our comfort zones and shows us we can do a lot more than we think we can.

Overcoming impostor syndrome. Do you want to overcome imposter syndrome? Do improv. People who have the mettle and nerve to do improv are not impostors.

Most major cities offer improv classes. They’re offered at night or on weekends, and they’re safe places to be yourself. If you can make it work, seriously consider taking a class or two. Who knows. You, like my friend, may join the troupe.

Frank Ramos is a partner at Goldberg Segalla in Miami, where he practices commercial litigation, products, and catastrophic personal injury. You can follow him on LinkedIn, where he has about 80,000 followers.

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