Jen deHaan

Excellent important study/work.

clouds and sky super dramatic looking. most of the colours are oranges and blues

Working on some new projects and certifications around neurodivergence. And here's a frame from some b-roll taken above my house. Not too shabby! They say you need a hook, gonna rely on Vancouver Island being pretty instead 😂

Jen with quizzical face "stop asking"

If "you look," "you seem," or "you feel" are the only ways you can start a line, you'll stop asking questions and start adding information. New partner and solo exercises on this week's Your Improv Brain. NEW EP at improvupdate.com/improvbrain

So baffling yes! Oftentimes ADHD traits, and also socialization while raised (lifelong intense masking for ex), can sort of "buffer" some of the experiences and such. Many of us feel that AuDHD should be it's own neurotype as such, it's such an independent/unique experience, I can only imagine :)

Jen with quizzical face and text "stop asking"

"Don't ask questions in improv" is one of those rules you hear early on. You can break it, but you have to learn how first. New episode on when questions work, when they don't, and a much easier approach for the top of your scene. NEW EPISODE at improvupdate.com/improvbrain

Hmm, so weird! I wonder if it's somehow caching the old link? Or maybe bsky barfed? Tech gives me a sad sometimes! I'll keep an eye out. And at any rate, I updated a bunch of old bsky links in old show notes - heads up very helpful! :)

Jen with quizzical face and text "stop asking"

New Your Improv Brain episode. This one is about why questions at the top of your scene can stall things and what to do instead. I also talk about why making assumptions about other people's characters felt genuinely weird to me when I started improv. Find episode at improvupdate.com/improvbrain

But I don't doubt that many ppl attract similar neurotypes and methods of sharing. And possible things change as trust develops, if it does? I'm not sure! I've just never had many friends to like... test/ask, you know? And awareness has shifted my masking/convos a bit etc :)

And thanks & hello!

It's very possible they share the same way! I really am not sure, no one has explicitly pointed it out, but I'm so curious if that's why so many friendships never developed and some don't work out in the past. I was just crushed when it started and kept coming up in articles and on social media :(

Thanks so much for letting me know! The channel link seems to be working, but I found a bunch of old ones on the old channel description pages - is that where you found them? Just curious, trying to track any more old links down. Thanks so much again!!!

Our communication styles are different, and neither are correct or incorrect. They're different ways of connecting. Ours isn't selfish. Just like yours isn't judging or ignoring. Understanding both ways though, that is important.

oof that was long... and I just wanted to share a link! :)

I sure did. It's why I don't share too much in groups and delete a lot of comments I make. Then that perpetuates our social isolation, and the stigma and such. It's tough when the world and most social groups aren't set up for us to be included!

Please know that we do it because it's how we connect, and WE hoped others did the same! Just like you do! The thing is we hear ALL the time about how "selfish" the autistic way is, but almost never that autistics can feel the same negative feelings on our side when you respond the way you do.

So when I don't have that display back, I felt like you're not understanding or caring. And, I learnt, apparently you think I'm *not* empathizing and "making it about me." See why we get so upset and sad to hear that's what non-autistic people say is happening?

But I can process how I felt in a similar situation, then understand how you're feeling. Empathy. Cause I absolutely care about how you feel and felt.

It's me trying to show you I understand. It's me trying to show you I am empathizing. And I thought that's how we did it!

We can process emotion at a different speed. Maybe it's related to this, maybe it's not.

It seems like it could be related to how I try to process feelings in the moment though, which would be related to empathizing with how you feel. I cannot "feel your feelings".

I thought they didn't care, or weren't hearing me, were judging me, or didn't understand. Yes, even when questions were asked. Many of us also have alexithymia, delayed emotional processing, & other related conditions.

Our biology is sometimes a cause (myelination differences in the body).

It helped me understand why few did the same - and also **WHY I COULDN'T CONNECT WITH THEM EITHER**.

Non-autistics didn't respond in a way that connected with me. It went both ways. I never thought they heard me, understood me, and most of the time (not always)...

I share a similar story to show people I might understand the feeling of their experience, not to "make it about me." I was old, and cried, when I learnt that's what people thought this whole time because it was the OPPOSITE of my intent! I was trying to empathize!

7.6K views · 1.1K reactions | #autism #autistic #neurodiversity #neurodivergent | Pete Wharmby, Autistic Author #autism #autistic #neurodiversity #neurodivergent

A good explanation of what's very tough for many of us. So sorry this is FB
www.facebook.com/reel/1366997...

Example: I couldn't believe it when I first learned that people *didn't* connect through shared stories to empathize.

(Jen from the future: this is long, sigh)

Oh wow that's so good to know!! I reckon the technology is much better now too (the one we have is very old, maybe first generation). Perhaps it's time to upgrade... hmm :)

Thanks for the tip!

Like I even got a bit of it playing the relatively new Mario game on switch that was largely side-scrolling... that even surprised me haha. So so glad things like that exist though, it sounds so cool (not a furry though but I'd be game to try if I could without getting seasick!)

Yes I heard of improv VR! There is a discord (or at least there was) and I heard of some highly organized (semi pro?) shows happening in VR. I have this... awful... issue with carsick feeling and those things. Such a bummer since I love video games and it's severely limiting for that too, lol!

Every big company is going to do this in the coming months, because there are age verification laws being considered in several Western countries

Research age verification laws in your region (it's S-209 in Canada) and call your reps to tell them you're deeply against this shit

New series on Your Improv Brain starting now. I'm covering the top of the scene, initiations, and base reality over the next few episodes. This first one is about ditching exposition and starting your scenes with momentum. Partner and solo exercises included.
Find at improvupdate.com/improvbrain

text "jump to the middle" in center of image, office area in background and edge of Jen clipped off

If you're standing at the top of your improv scene trying to explain who everyone is and why you're all there, you've already lost the audience. New episode on how to skip all that and start in the middle. NEW EPISODE!
improvupdate.com/improvbrain

Yes this!! Growth and such limited outlets. Regularly thinking how much use I'd get out of the improv for my community classes I used to run and miss so much (can't see a way back yet). Bitter is exactly it...

Understanding our brains under new situations, guess there's that :) 💙💙

Sorry I missed this but yes that reaction that this is extreme and unreasonable is so wild. Especially with half a million studies on why it's reasonable. Glad to see you too!! 💙

basically the text in the post - gentle gradient over mountains, predominant colour is vibrant blue. 14,000 pixels wide!

Taken tonight looking towards mt arrowsmith at sunset on #VancouverIsland. Super panoramic at 14,000px wide :) I don't know how this will look in a feed 😂

I was today years old when I saw The Littlest Hobo win a bronze at the Olympics. #GoCanada #LondonFTW