Not everyone dreams of performing on Saturday Night Live. Still, we can all benefit from learning to improvise.
Sometimes people confuse reacting on the fly with the art form of improvisation. It’s true, when we answer a question in class, a meeting, or toss together an haphazard meal, our approach is often unplanned. However, there are important differences between an unplanned reaction and the kind of improvisation you’d learn in an improv class.
What makes improvisation an art form?
In improv, we make choices. Rather than stumbling from one random idea to another, we choose one idea and then build on it by choosing another related one. In order to build on our choices and the choices of others, we learn to listen and become aware of opportunities as they arise.
Let’s stop right there. Imagine what might be possible if you built a habit of a) making specific choices in the moment, and b) being aware of the opportunities developing around you.
How might improv help you in your day-to-day life?
You might:
- See a compromise or a collaborative decision that helps you avoid conflict.
- Choose and develop a solution plan that helps you through a sticky problem.
- Find momentum to speed you through a project rather than trudge through.
And these opportunities are only the tip of the iceberg. At Society of Young Inklings, we teach improv to help writers become more fluent, more nimble, and more strategic. However, the benefits of these thinking skills reach far beyond writing tasks.
Learning to improvise requires purposeful training.
While writers can practice improvisation on their own, the best way to build improvisation muscle is to work in a give-and-take situation. Mentors and peers offer ideas that push us beyond our comfort zone—here is where the real learning happens.
Would you like to learn more? Sign up below for A Week of Creativity, our free mini-course. You won’t want to miss out on this opportunity to get inspired and also gain strategies to support the creative youth in your life. It’s a win-win!
