Elephants Have Big Ears - I learned I don’t.

Initial Expectations:

Within the first few weeks of class I can't really say whether my expectations were met or not. Mainly because I don't think I had any expectations at all. To put it simply I didn't know much of what to expect. However, one thing I did realize, which surprised me, was how quickly everyone in class got comfortable and able to come out of their shells. My first impression of improvisation is a place people can be themselves and not worry about what others are thinking. When everyone in class has to go up and look silly you realize you can go up and look silly too. If everyone goes up and looks silly, and you don't, you're the one that actually looks silly by not buying into the game.

A video of our class pretending to be an animal (having to actively walk like that animal and talk like what we think that animal would sound like). To an outsider this would look pretty silly but everyone in class is letting go and buying into the character. Feeling safe to look silly.

Future Expectations:

Looking forward to the rest of the semester I'm excited to see how my creativity flows and what my brains comes up with. I also want to see how those skills show up in my day to day outside of class. The below video talks about how improv can free you from overthinking and having fears of things we shouldn't. As I showed in the first section of how the first improv classes were very free from judgement from the beginning, once we let go of those things we can be our authentic selves.

How the skills of improvisation can free us to be ourselves | Tom Lovegrove | TEDxImperialCollege

Any nerves?:

Though the first classes have been really open and I feel like I have been able to let go and just be silly, I still get nervous about doing "weird things". Pretending to walk about like a bird and talk with a funny voice is fine. But one of my classmates the first day lied on the floor and pretended she was giving birth to an alien baby. I don't know if I could have bought into the character like she did. Thinking about doing that still makes me uncomfortable and nervous. However, we learned about the two most important words in improv on the first day of class, "Yes, And." (pg. 12 UCB Comedy Improvisational Manual) Those two words force you to except the reality your partner is creating no matter how weird or uncomfortable it may be.

Besser, Matt, et al. The Upright Citizens Brigade Comedy Improvisation Manual. Comedy Council of Nicea, LLC, 2013. 

My classmate Arabella pretending to give birth to an alien baby. She did an amazing job but I don't think I could have sold the role.

Two new rules that I learned and resonate with me:

1. Listen! Pay close attention.

   The title of this weeks blog came from the important rule of listening in improv. But not listening to hear, or to respond, but listening to understand. It's about more than hearing. It's about watching, smelling, tasting, AND hearing. In order to be a good improviser you must take in all these things so that you can use them effectively. In my everyday life I realize I listen to respond not to deeply understand. Now when I talk to my friends I'm very intentional about making sure I'm really listening and not feeling pressured to come up with a response. I found if I'm trying to respond while they're still talking I miss most of the information. I can see this helping me understand the people I talk to more and really find out what they need because maybe a response or a solution isn't what they need. They might need open ears and open arms.

   
   

2. Start first, think later

   Once you're in motion you're more likely to stay in motion but if you are at rests you'll also stay there. In improv we tend to avoid certain decisions like dying or making bold claims. But if you're waiting for a good idea to come to you, you may be waiting a long time. I’m an over thinker and I can translate this in real life to mean just do it! You can’t sit around thinking about every outcome or the opportunity to act will simply pass you by before you’ve made a decision. The impact of doing this rule will allow me to just act and not overthink leading to make the most out of opportunities that come my way.

   Improv is about, “teaching people to get out of the way of themselves”, as the video below will talk about.