A love letter (and a promise) to the people of The Land of Enchantment
Dear New Mexico,
Let me start with a story. Back in 2015, I was just discovering improv. Totally green to the craft, I took my first class, and something inside of me came alive. I became obsessed. Improv gave me something to look forward to during a time when I was picking up the pieces of my life after hitting absolute rock bottom. In my obsession, I stumbled onto a podcast called Improv4Humans, and it completely blew my mind. Listening to it was like a window opening into a world I didn’t even know existed. It wasn’t just about comedy; it was about connection, creativity, and exploring possibilities. That was when I began wondering why New Mexicans didn’t have more access to improv…after all, I was born and raised here and it took me 30+ for improv to find me. I thought, What if there was more ‘improv for New Mexico’?
Fast forward to today, and I’m finally turning that spark of an idea into reality.
Improv4NewMexico™ (Improv4NM™ / i4NM™) isn’t just a program—it’s my love letter to my state and its people.
Why I’m Doing This
I’m a native New Mexican and I’ve lived nearly my whole life in New Mexico. The connection I have to the Land of Enchantment is one that pierces the very heart of me. I know its beauty and its heartbreak. I know what it’s like to withstand the drought and to celebrate in the rain; to stand on the edge of the Sandias at sunset and feel that everything is possible—and then to wake up the next day feeling like those possibilities are out of reach.
Too many of us have lived that. We’ve grown up in a state that ranks near the bottom in education, job opportunities, and mental health resources. We’ve lost friends, family, and neighbors to addiction, poverty, incarceration, and even suicide. I know that pain personally. I’ve lived those statistics, and I know the weight they carry. These experiences have helped shape who I am and how I navigate through the world. I’ve been accused of being “too tough”… but I know that just means I’m “hard to kill.”
But I also know something else: New Mexicans are some of the most creative, resourceful, and resilient people you’ll ever meet. Many of my favorite people are New Mexicans. We deserve better than missed opportunities, uninspiring options, being told who we are, and being told what we are capable of achieving. We deserve a chance to grow, to express ourselves authentically, and to build something meaningful—without having to leave our communities to do it.
Planting a Seed
For years, I had to leave the state to find inspiration. If I wanted to take a class, go to a workshop, or grow creatively, I had to travel elsewhere. Every time I came back, I wondered, Why don’t we have opportunities like this here? Why should New Mexicans have to settle for less? Why should we accept someone else’s limits on what we can do?
Improv4NewMexico™ (Improv4NM™/ i4NM™) was born out of that frustration—and that hope. These programs aren’t just about teaching improv; they’re about creating spaces where people can explore their potential, try something new, and truly be themselves. They’re about giving every community in New Mexico the tools to build its own creative presence and source of inspiration.
Improv saved me in many ways. It taught me how to trust myself, to take risks, and to step into the unknown. These aren’t just stage skills—they’re life skills. They inspire hope. They’re the tools we need to navigate our hardest moments, the ones that make us question whether we can keep going.
Building a Future for New Mexico
For too long, improv in this state has been dominated by a small group of voices. I got tired of seeing talented, passionate people being used to build and support someone else’s vision, only to be discarded when they no longer served the purpose. I got tired of seeing people too afraid to speak up because they felt there weren’t any other options.
In 2024, I found myself at a crossroads. After dedicating over five years to building a vibrant and supportive community, I faced the deeply challenging experience of having to start again. Around that same time, my original improv mentor, Ben Taxy, told me something that stuck. He said, “Rachel, there are so many other cities that need a good improv school and a great improv teacher. You can do this anywhere you want.”
Little did I know that just a few months later, I’d be nominated for Board Chair and Executive Director of what was then Stage Santa Fe. With the support of the original founders of the non-profit organization, I rebranded Stage Santa Fe to Improv New Mexico™ (Improv NM™) and I turned what was an idea 10 years in the making into a reality: a statewide programming initiative called Improv4NewMexico™ (Improv4NM™/ i4NM™).
These programs are for everyone. They’re for the high school student in Gallup who dreams of performing. They’re for the teacher in Las Cruces who wants to build confidence. They’re for the single parent in Española who needs a creative outlet. They’re for anyone who has ever felt like they didn’t have options or didn’t belong. They are for me too, because I am not going anywhere else to be able to do what I love the most: to love and serve people through the transformative power of improv.
Let’s Do This Together
This isn’t just about comedy; it’s about connection. It’s about helping people realize they’re not alone, that their voice matters, and that they have something to offer. Whether it’s through laughter, storytelling, or simply showing up to try something new, Improv4NewMexico™ (Improv4NM™/ i4NM™) is about building stronger individuals and stronger communities.
Here’s how you can get involved with Improv New Mexico™ (Improv NM™):
- Join Us for a Class or Workshop: Explore your creativity and build your confidence. Stay up to date on our upcoming classes and community events by signing up for our newsletter.
- Donate to Support Our Mission: Your contribution helps bring improv to communities across New Mexico. Donate today here.
- Spread the Word: Share this letter, invite a friend to a show, or tell someone about Improv4NewMexico™ and the power of improv.
- Partner with Us: Are you part of a school, community group, or business that could benefit from improv training? Let’s work together—reach out here.
We’ve got a lot of good work to do, New Mexico, but I know we can do it together. Let’s create opportunities where there weren’t any before. Let’s bring inspiration to every corner of this state. Let’s lift each other up—one scene, one class, one laugh, one “I got your back” at a time.
Thank you for letting me share this dream with you. Your support means everything.
Now, let’s make it count and be hard to kill.
Sincerely,
Rachel Michaela Chavez Jaramillo
Creator, Improv4NewMexico™ (Improv4NM™/ i4NM™)
Board Chair & Executive Director, Improv New Mexico™ (Improv NM™)
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