We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ernest Mitchell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ernest below.
Ernest , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
We are all born improvisers. But honed the craft at Palm Beach State College with the campus improv troupe Cheese & Crackers under the tutelage of Theater Professor David Hyland. Mentored by him and his #2 guy Renowned Improviser Tom O’Donnell who gained his improv chops with University of Florida’s Strike Force. I made an impression with my two mentors and they allowed me to grow with them.
Knowing what I know now, as I look back down the hallway of my improv history, I would have spent at least two more mango seasons with my mentors instead of poking my chest like I had it all figured out.
The skills most essential would have been to master the fundamentals so that I could forget them. That simply means they would have been so embedded that i wouldn’t have to think about doing them, it would be second nature.
It was me vs me. I was the obstacle, sometimes when we are presented new things to learn it causes this point of resistance or acceptance. The concepts that I was learning at the time I don’t think I was fully ready to accept.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I got into this world of improv through trying out for the college team at the time.
The services I provide as a result of my improv journey, I host, DJ, put together improv shows and other events, and craft creative corporate trainings.
The main thing I am most proud of is building The Intelligent Fools Entertainment Group and the non profit youth development program Improvising Life, both come out of my 20 years spent in the improv theater world.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
It’s up to the artist in the space to support other art and then share the community that almost seems like an underground fight club. To raise awareness people are going to have to speak up. The community also has to grow in diversity. Everyone has their own little nooks of artistry, and it’s hindered growth, because everyone is looking out for themselves. I understand the need for a season of internalizing to grow and build infrastructure, but at some point in order to build bridges you need a team of different people.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I had to pivot away from certain people. Selfish behavior inside of an improv troupe or any group for that matter will cause it to implode. I had to remove certain people from the journey because theirs no longer match the path I was on.
I encouraged members of my improv troupe to explore their own passions and I would support them in the best way that I could. In business, you have to prune to grow. Pruning the bushes of your business also can result in new foliage and new admirers of the bushes.
It’s difficult when you have to remove people off the bus of progress, but sometimes life calls for different people to get off at different stops.
I have made it a point to vet potential partners with less emotion and more logic, in which they fit where I am trying to go.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://intelligentfoolsdotcom.wordpress.com/
- Instagram: ImprovisingLife and Intelligent Fools
- Facebook: The Intelligent Fools & Improvising Life
- Linkedin: Ernest Mitchell
Image Credits
Photo taken: by Rachel Rosen Of Rachelerikaphotography IG: Rachelerikaphotography Photo taken: James Harden of TuffShot Media IG: TuffShotMedia