Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Stott.
Hi Shannon, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
When I was traveling and living in Europe and Africa, I cultivated flexibility and adaptation in my life in order to keep my mental health intact while shifting between different countries and cultures. When I finally started to grow roots in Richmond, Virginia I began taking Improv classes because I thought that might be my way into the theater (no dice btw).
I found that I was re-learning through games the same mechanisms I had developed over the years to help me transition while moving and struggling with loss and uncertainty, as well as acceptance and gratitude. When I re-rooted in Austin Texas, I started crafting a methodology and practice around exploring big emotions around a change in our lives in a low-stakes environment. My practice has become my business.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Pulling from my own experiences with big changes and delving deep into my emotional life has been a difficult and scary process. I curate an environment that invites looking into self and relationships and in order to do it for others, I have to look deeply at myself and that can be uncomfortable. Has it been a smooth road?
Hmmm… I remember once I was on safari in a jeep that barely had cushions. We were bouncing all over the interior, hitting our heads on bars, holding on for dear life, we were very uncomfortable. The brush was thick and we could barely see 2 feet in front of us, acacia thorns reached through the windows and tore our arms. We bumped around like that for some hours until we came to a clearing. We were quiet. The engine turned off. On the other side of the clearing were about 13 female elephants standing close together all flapping their ears (shhhhhh, read this part quietly) and stomping their feet. We stayed quiet, our bruises throbbing and our arms bleeding. “look”, a whisper in the vehicle, as elephants moved to reveal a lone cow (female elephant) in the center of the cluster shaking her head and agitated, blood and amniotic sac protruded from her as she tossed her head from side to side. She was giving birth. We watched from afar as long as we could (we never saw the full delivery), it started getting dark. We reversed and bounced, knocked and bled back to our campsite. Has it been a smooth road? It’s been a safari.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
People are already on a journey. You find us because change has happened on your journey, or you are seeking to make change happen and may feel uneasy about the next steps. Our company is about helping you remember what you value in your life, work and relationships so that change becomes easier to move within and decisions become clearer to make.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I feel fortunate to be in a city that values different niches. If I want to eat Ethiopian food while reading graphic novels at a coffee shop dedicated to queer literature I can… If I want to FIND another person that enjoys all of those things, it is difficult and that is what I like least about the city. Finding community takes work that can be draining enough that you may give up on looking even though what you are looking for is probably here.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.onandoffthestage.com
- Instagram: @improvonandoff
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Improvonandoffthestage
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQUaPKg_oSzX3a4xLLy90zA
