Daily Inspiration: Meet Briana Hansen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Briana Hansen.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
When I was in second grade in a tiny school in Indianapolis, I saw the sixth graders in my school put on a production of “Fiddler on the Roof.” I was so enthralled by the magic of the musical, I went home and wrote my own version of it, then gathered a handful of friends together and produced it for our half-interested parents. I, of course, starred in most of the major roles, often talking to myself throughout scenes while my friends enjoyed the free snacks I used to bribe them, and popped in with a line or two when their Dot Matrix paper scripts called for it. Give or take three decades later, I’m still writing and starring in my own material and often producing it. And, if I’m being honest, I still bribe friends with snacks in order to show up.

As an energetic, enthusiastic, loud, and hyper-imaginative kid in the flatlands of Indiana, it took me a very long time to learn that you could actually craft a life around creativity. My path has been mostly through comedy. My first stop was Chicago where I studied at The Second City, iO and The Annoyance theaters, created and toured with my own solo sketch shows, and collaborated voraciously with people I found hysterical. I didn’t last long in the dark, cold, and depressing Chicago winters, and after one particularly terrible audition where I walked out and was hit with a large pile of dirty street slosh by the bus I failed to catch, I decided to go get rejected in Los Angeles.

I’ve been here almost a full decade at this point and love it. LA has felt like home from the first time I visited. I’m still writing, acting, teaching, and creating my own content and my own opportunities with people I love. I’m also proud to be building a life outside of the creative space that includes two high-energy and high-maintenance dogs, a child who puts the toddle in toddler, and a very grounded husband who encourages me when the constant rejection inevitably and temporarily curtails my enthusiasm.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Yep, everything’s been super easy and I’m a billionaire with life that even Instagram gets jealous of.

No. Wait. That’s not true. It has not always been easy. One of my biggest hurdles has been embracing my Midwestern self-deprecation as a funny trait, but not my full identity. I came out here very humble. I believed in myself but didn’t want to make a fuss or make a scene. I thought I would do things the “right” way and tried to figure out whatever the heck that meant. I was a major people-pleaser and I came from a culture that looked down upon people who spoke too highly of themselves. A lot of “Who do you think you are?” vibes. Combine those with the fact that there is no clear or “right” path in this field, and that question transforms into “Who am I to think I can do this?” and a “Who even am I?” pretty quickly.

It’s easy for me in this relatively stable moment to see some of the points along the path that were helping me get here, even though they didn’t feel necessarily positive at the time. I’ve screamed up at the heavens (and my upstairs neighbor) when I didn’t have enough money for gas. I’ve sat in a coffee shop and just ordered coffee for hours because I had to wait for the friends whose couch I was crashing on to finish a late shift. I’ve wasted time giving over my power to people who don’t deserve it for years, thinking it was a virtue to remain the supportive figure behind-the-scenes. I’ve questioned my talent and my self-worth more times than I care to admit.

I’m finally in a place now, largely thanks to the calm, supportive presence of my husband and the family that we’ve created, where I can finally shed a lot of that old programming and focus on being the most me possible, rather than being a variation of other people’s expectations of what I should be. I’m actually listening to and trusting my instincts and my intuition, which are leading me on unexpected creative paths. But I dig it.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a writer, actress, comedian, and teacher. I specialize in comedy and connection. I love projects that are not only genre-bending but also outside of the box. I love the integration of technology and storytelling. I’m obsessed with immersive stories and finding surprising connections.

I’m proud of recently creating a project that might be the first of its kind (someone else do the homework!). It’s a Choose Your Own Adventure-style sketch comedy show for virtual reality headsets. It’s called “The Choose Your Own Sketch Show.” It’s available on the AmazeVR app on Oculus. I had a blast creating various outcomes and sketch structures for people to play around in. Every sketch is a simple premise that gets ridiculous quickly. It’s sort of video-game-y in that way. It was a blast to create and I got to collaborate with some hilarious people in order to make it a reality.

I’m also very into the parallels between improvisation and meditation, comedy and healing, and finding your own personal voice and creating authentic stories that express it. I’ve begun rolling out weekly meditation classes and am looking to teach courses on confidence, flow, and helping people unlock their abundant creative potential.

I think what sets me apart is the fact that I have a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and the Public and years of seeking adventure in both large and minute ways. I love to travel and am obsessed with meeting new people who live in realities that are dramatically different from my own. I will also go out of my way pet any friendly dog that is within a half-mile radius of my hungry hands.

Any big plans?
Honestly, since experiencing pregnancy, postpartum, and becoming a parent during a global pandemic, my interest in making future plans has gone by the wayside. I’m trying to do the best I can every day and when little whispers urge me to move in a certain direction, I do my best to listen to them.

Because I always have to create, I’m of course creating. I’m currently working on an educational show I plan on touring around colleges and military bases with in the next couple of years. I’m also crafting a pitch for a project that I’m really excited about. And I’ve been diving into the non-fiction book space with my first book proposal for series of comedic essays on becoming a mom in the heart of a pandemic.

Plus, I’m re-launching my blog, a new podcast called “Instinct + Gumption,” and monthly newsletters I hope will entertain and delight readers while making them feel a little less alone in a more and more isolated world.

Contact Info:

• Email: briana@brianahansen.com
• Website: brianahansen.com
• Instagram: @thebrianahansen
• Twitter: @thebrianahansen
• Other: TikTok @thebrianahansen

Image Credits:
Cameron Rice, Sunshine Headshots, AmazeVR