For the last seven or eight weeks I’ve been attending an improv comedy workshop every Monday night. It’s been a whole lot of fun! I’m not amazing by any stretch of the imagination, but I’ve been learning lots and have enjoyed being outside of my comfort zone.
Learning about improv through all the exercises and games has taught me lots. Not only about performing improv but about life. After all, life is ALL about improvisation. We are constantly having to adapt to the ever changing circumstances going on around us. We can have all the five year plans we life, but they’ll always get upset by things going on now. And when that happens, we have to improvise.
One of the key things I have learnt about improv is listening. All of the best and funniest improv moments emerge out of great listening. We listen to what the person is saying and improvise about that.
Let me give an example. A few weeks ago we did this game where, in two’s, you create a scene based on something (an object, a setting, a relationship) you are given. When we were doing this, I was imagining the whole scene in my own head. I had it all planned out. And so I turned my whole scene with this other person into me trying to get my story out. It bombed. Why? I wasn’t listening to what was happening. I was ignoring everything the other person was saying.
We did this game again last night and I did a much better job. I responded and built the scene with the people I was improvising with. I let the story unfold rather than forcing my story into it. It was a whole lot funnier and more engaging.
This is true to life as well. If we have this set plan in our heads and ignore what is going on around us, we miss out on so many opportunities. Moments are there to be seized, not lost in our own self-inflicted slavery to five year plans.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s great to have plans and long term dreams. These are important. Just don’t become so enslaved to them that you fail to adapt and improvise to the realities of life.
Listen!
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
My top two themes are futuristic, ideation………. so this leaves me in a constant state of “Five years from now….. this (or that) will happen…”
Great post. Today is very important. Dream and plan for tomorrow, live and maximize today.
Another great Sam Radford post. Thx.
Sweet …send me through some detail on it sounds like a great activity idea!
Great post…I must find my nearest improv class
@Evan | Thanks, glad it was helpful. And always nice to find someone who shares both Futuristic and Ideation!
@Simon | Yeah, some of the activities would be great team building exercises. I’ll chat with about it all soon.