Life and Uncertainty- Learn Simple Improv Skills To Embrace Life Each Day!
HOW CAN IMPROV SKILLS HELP WITH EVERYDAY SITUATIONS?
Improv can change your life. It is not about being on an Improv stage and being funny that changes you, it is the skills you learn in the Improv process that changes you. Even if you cannot take an Improv class, you can find so many videos online which demonstrate and explain to you the benefits of learning and applying Improv skills into your life?
True, Improv is a form of entertainment. It has been said that it is also a lesson in bravery, communication, teamwork, clear thinking, risk-taking, courage, trust, getting out of your comfort zone, and fun. Through Improv games and exercises, students of Improv learn to listen better, be in tune with their partner on stage, trust themselves and let go.
“The kind of improvising I value is not designed to entertain people. It can be entertaining, but that’s not its purpose. In its purest form, improv puts you in touch with other people in a way that is intimate, informal, and fully engaged, so you can be aware of what they’re feeling and thinking,” says actor Alan Alda. Alan came up with the idea of teaching Improv to scientists. “The objective is not to make them funny, but to help them talk about science to people who are not scientists.” The exercises utilized helped his participants be encouraged and they learned how to pay attention to the audience’s reaction and adjust. “It’s the contact with the other person,” said Alda. “Real conversations can’t happen if listening is just my waiting for you to finish talking. Improv doesn’t allow that kind of pretend communication.”
“When things happen that you don’t expect in life and you have enough improvising to get you used to that… those unexpected things become welcome, they become opportunities… that is where the gold is, in the unexpected. Life is uncertain and if you stop the certainty in order to have control over it, you are missing the gold….welcome the uncertainty rather than avoiding it,” Alan Alda.
Recently, I sat down with Joe Van Haecke of https://inspirememrv.com/ who has a long history with Improv and a passion to share the tools of Improv with students and adults. Joe shares simple tips on how to use YES / AND and other creative ways to slow down our communication and interaction with each other so you both can be seen and heard. Did you know IMPROV can help you build your self-confidence? According to Joe, “IMPROV gives you permission to set aside the judgments and the masks you put on every day so you can step into your TRUE and AUTHENTIC self.”
IMPROV SKILLS CAN HELP YOU SEE AND HEAR OTHERS
Do you want to be seen and heard when you are in a conversation? As a leader, do you truly hear what the other person is saying to you? Everyday conversations can be an opportunity for you to incorporate some simple Improv skills so that your conversations become three-dimensional and productive! Think about the holiday seasons or special events when you have family and friends around….the day is filled with all kinds of conversations, right? In those moments, everyone wants to be seen and heard. Why not add some Improv!
WHY IMPROVISATION?
You can use the skills of IMPROV in every area of your life (personal and professional) and these skills can help you navigate the uncertainty life may bring at any given time. Improv skills can help you embrace the unknown and uncertainty instead of pushing it away.
APPLIED IMPROV SKILLS CAN:
Show you how to handle difficult life moments.
Grow your confidence.
Remove the masks we put on and remove the judgments from our life.
Help you step into your authentic YOU.
Help you build better listening and all-around communication skills.
Help you stay in the moment. Step out of your comfort zone.
Bring back the fun into your life and into your relationships.
Become more solid in your WHY.
Help you become more decisive.
A main principle of improvisation is speaking without a script, because you have to make quick decisions, in the moment, about what you’re going to say next. This Improv skill helps strengthen your everyday decision-making skills without second-guessing yourself.
Why? Because you step out, make a decision and commit to that decision. One of the biggest mistakes novice improvisers make is to come onstage with a pre-determined idea of how they want a scene to go. Sounds like life, too. The temptation in Improv and in life, is we want to be in control of all situations. However, the reality is that we don’t have control over people and uncertain times. We only have control over us and our reactions. As we have stated in this blog, Improv develops many skillsets within us and within our mindset to help us navigate all situations, all relationships, and have fun, too.
