My answer to the question, “So, what do you do?” changes by the hour. I want to answer the same way people in the Midwest field questions about the weather by saying, “If you don’t like it, stick around 15 minutes and it’ll change.” A typical (and fulfilling day) can start with a morning where I am a definitely a “writer,” quietly hunkered down to my computer screen, tediously bringing characters to life. Whether I’m an “author” or a “screenwriter” or some other variation of “writer” that morning, I’m somehow wearing that role. In the late morning and early afternoon,…
Author: Briana Hansen
Briana Hansen
Briana Hansen is an enthusiastic actress, writer, and comedian originally from the midwest who now lives in Los Angeles and loves every moment of it. She trained in improvisation and sketch comedy for years in Chicago and continues to perform and study it in LA. She creates a constantly evolving comedic solo show “Femoir” which has been produced at major comedy theaters and festivals all over the nation for several years. She continues to produce it in bi-monthly in podcast form and onstage periodically. She performs sketch comedy regularly at The Second City with TMI Hollywood and does stand up gigs at major (and minor) venues throughout the city. Her first novel, “Cartoon Confessions,” will be published in spring 2014. She is currently producing and starring in a comedic web series she wrote called “The Other Client List.” She is a major sunscreen advocate.
Somehow, we’ve already rounded out the first month in 2016 and are a week into February. When did that even happen? I know time flies but sometimes, I swear, it’s engines engage and it goes warp speed! A classic Star Trek reference for my fellow Trekkies out there. And, despite the fact that we tend to only focus on goal setting at the beginning of the year, I’m a firm believer that striving towards achievable and exciting goals year-round can really help you “live long and prosper.” Another reference! I’m on a roll! As a big-time goal lover and strong…
I just got back from a vacation. Like, an actual one. Where you take time off and don’t work and whatnot. One of those. I’m clarifying because I can have a strong tendency to be a bit of a workaholic, so the idea of a vacation- wherein no work was involved or expected- is still shocking to me. Now that I’m back and have had some time to reflect, I realized that I now feel more inspired and creative than ever. And I believe it’s a direct response to having taken some time off. So I’ve come up with three…
I had a bunch of ideas for articles this time around. I was going to write about delegation, then inspiration, then emancipation. Maybe not the last one but it rhymed so I had to go with it. But the truth is I was in a rut. I had relinquished my official Little Miss Cutesy Comedy Productivity Princess title to whoever else wanted it. I had slowly but surely poked several small pinholes that let air out in different directions in the enthusiasm floaty, and was slowly sinking into the pool of apathy below. I saw it happening, but the apathy…
Let’s get real for a minute. For the past decade, we’ve loved the word “awkward.” We use it as a punchline, as the set up to a joke, and as the followup for a joke. Tweens have been using it anytime they feel like talking and can’t seem to think of anything else to say. It’s this generation’s “cool” or “kewl” or “fetch.” Oh, “fetch” never happened? Nevermind. My point is, the overuse of the word “awkward” by teenagers, reveals a bigger issue. As a teen, we’re learning how to socialize properly. So any time we’re placed in a scenario…
I love the buddy system. I’m a big fan of finding likeminded individuals to work with. I’m a believer that two brains are better than one. Despite being an unapologetic loner and proud solo artist, I’ve still been lucky enough to be involved in a lot of partnerships over the past few years. Now that I’m in a rather sweet spot of having a bunch of projects finally come to fruition, I’ve been able to reflect on what made the most successful ones great and what I learned from the more difficult partnerships, because I had my fair share of…
It’s December. All bets are off. You did the best you could in 2014 to reach your goals and now it’s time to start winding down. The holidays are upon us and it’s against our nature and our culture to start something new now. Now is a time to relax and reflect. And I am a-ok with that. Before you know it, the New Year will be upon us. And you’ll be convinced this year is the year you can stick with your resolutions. And maybe you’re right. I hope you’re right. I want you to be right. And you…
Three years ago, I moved to the beautiful city of Los Angeles to be amongst the palm trees, the ocean, and the movie stars. In these past three years, a lot has happened. Some of it good. Some of it amazing. Some of it not so stellar. But I have learned from every moment and loved it all. I’m writing this not as a warning, but hopefully as inspiration. Your decision to move to LA or not should include a myriad of factors that I don’t need to know. I just want you to be prepared for some of the bad…
Not long ago, I was driving back from Arizona where I just filmed a comedy western pilot with my creative other half and a spectacular team of people. I call this guy my creative other half because in the past 10 months, he and I have collaborated on 15 projects together, with the 16th currently in production and the 17th in pre-production. He takes the words and characters I write and create as an actor to whole new levels through his direction and vision. We already have a short-hand with each other and we haven’t even known each other for…
Comedy is kind of my thing. I love it. I do it constantly. I’ve spent thousands of dollars and hours learning, performing, teaching, and watching comedy. It’s a guaranteed mood-booster no matter what the circumstance. I try and write about comedy and happiness regularly. Since good comedy can help make you happier, I thought I’d share with you four of my favorite types of live comedy performances and which ones are best for whatever mood you’re in. 1) Improv There’s nothing more exhilarating than improvisational comedy done well. The symbiosis created between the audience and the performers is incredible. Going…
I just celebrated a birthday. I love birthdays. But there’s a strange stigma to getting older in Hollywood- especially for women. It’s like there’s this underlying idea that one of our most valuable assets is our beauty which fades with age. So we do whatever it takes to hide our age and struggle to hold onto our youth. As if somehow we peaked in our early 20s. I call bullsh*t. I love getting older. And here are 10 reasons off the top of my head why. 1) I know myself better every year Part of the process of growing up…
I am a productive person. And I’m proud to say that without any hesitation. I’m not saying what I produce is always good content. Some of it’s good. Some of it’s great. And the rest of it… well, it is what it is. But the point is, I’ve made a habit out of productivity. And some of my friends and peers have started to notice. Many have started asking me what my “secret” is. There is no secret. I work at being productive. I’m proactive about it. I pride myself on it. I practice it. So I began looking at…
My grandpa was a quiet cowboy. Years ago, he was outside standing by a tree relaxing when my dad went out to talk to his father-in-law. He asked my grandpa why he wasn’t inside with the rest of the (loud and often obnoxious) family. My grandpa looked at him then quietly said in an elongated Oklahoma drawl, “I’m particular about my company.” I, too, am particular about my company. I think there are three basic types of relationships we can have in this world. And I think if you recognize them, you can start evaluating your relationships based on your…
Hey! Hey you! You achiever, you! Listen to me! It’s imperative you listen to me for the next few minutes. I need you to know something. You’re good enough. You’re smart enough. And darn it, people will like you. And your product. I know this sounds silly, but I’ve seen so many high-achieving, intelligent friends of mine become embroiled in the battle for confidence in their own head that they lose sight of the importance of putting their product into the world. So I’m going to lay out the three things I see happen (and do myself) that sabotage good…