Episode 6: Improv(e) Yourself
Future clichéd self-help book title right here. This week I'm writing about three concepts from Improv that have really changed my life.
Firstly, yes people who do Improv are weird OK. Let’s just address the elephant in the room here. So be prepared for some weird muppet gifs this episode..
While self-help books have been the rage for a while now, I don’t think some of the quirkier avenues get as much credit in the personal growth section. I’m a true believer that all the activities we spend our time on can either grow or hinder us as people. I took a couple of Second City Improv classes in 2020 because I was bored in lockdown, and had a lot of free time on my hands. I expected to meet new people, do something new, and laugh a little more than I had in the first few months of lockdown. While all these things came true, I didn’t expect some of the theory taught to actually influence my life. In today’s newsletter, I’m sharing three ideas from Improv that have stuck with me, and things I genuinely remind myself of on a regular basis.
3 Improv Concepts That Have Made Me A Better Person
1. It’s Always ‘Yes, And’
It’s always ‘Yes, And’. It’s never ‘No, But’. In Improv, every statement a person makes is an offer. To practice improv is to always been accepting of what someone offers you, and roll with it, even if they don’t say what you had in mind. In my life, I now use this concept in conversation and it reminds me to always keep an open mind. I try really, really hard not to use the word ‘but’. I try my best to fully listen to and accept what the other person is saying. Don’t get me wrong, I fail multiple times. It’s difficult to do! But actively listening to what the other person has to say, without thinking about a rebuttal or my next point, as well as keeping an open mind, is liberating! It gives the speaker the platform they deserve when speaking, and frees me from the expectation/pressure of having the final word.
2. Commit To Your Character
Have you ever tried acting out a dog? Have you tried acting it out well? I did this once, to my roommates despair, by barking for five minutes in my bedroom on a Monday evening without any context or notice. It was for the Improv class I was in, but really my housemate probably thought that I had thrown in the towel for 2020 and finally lost it.
To be a good actor, especially in improv, you need to commit to the role you’re playing. And the more seriously you assume your character and play the role, the better the work is. Nobody has ever laughed or cried from someone half-assing their character. When studying how to act as someone, you don’t just learn about their strengths, you learn to embody a whole person. In life, this skill has helped me accept my flaws, and not view them as things to change but rather as things that make me who I am. There is a need for the flaws we all possess, which is what makes each one of us so unique — it makes us character-worthy. It gives us character, and makes us a character. And as someone who is particularly harsh with herself on mistakes, this was a nice mindset to adopt. Great characters are never perfect, actually they’re far from it. So why should I subject myself to perfectionist standards?
3. Make Strong Offers
A strong offer in improv is one that gives your partner a lot to go off on. Giving someone a one word reply, for example, is not a strong offer.
Person A: Hey Bob, could you pick up garbage bags when you’re at the store?
Person B: K.
Not a strong offer.
Person A: Hey Bob, could you pick up garbage bags when you’re at the store?
Person B: Tanya, I’m tired of always running your errands for you, especially when we’re housemates and share equal responsibility for chores in common areas
Strong offer. We’ve learnt about what person B is called, who they are in relation to person A, what their relationship is like, and what this conversation/scene is most likely going to be around.
In life, this taught me to be bold. To lead interactions with strong offers. To be proactive, rather than reactive. And to be forthcoming with information & vulnerabilities, where the other person has enough information to build context, and can add to the conversation in a powerful way. Moreover, I see strong offers as a form of respect. It could be respect for myself, when for e.g. I stand up to a bully after experiencing a hurtful experience, and it could be respect for someone else, when for e.g. I actively listening to them, and make an effort to carry on an engaging discussion.
uh…so now what?
All in all, if there’s one thing I took away from my Improv classes, it’s the joy I felt in class each week. The theory I learnt in Improv taught me to keep an open mind, commit to my character, and ultimately, be bold. And while all these concepts, when used well, make a good improv actor, they make an even better person.
So to wrap up this week’s newsletter, let me know — which concept resonates with you the most? Which concept do you think will benefit your life the most?
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About Bala Blabs
Bala Blabs is how I stay accountable to writing regularly. Writing is something I have loved doing since a very young age. One of the first things I got praised for was a horror poem that I modelled after Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Raven' at the age of 7.
I've been on the journey of creating a more fulfilling life for myself. And that includes creating, and a part of creating is writing and being able to express my ideas and thought.
I'd like to write and share ideas with you on everything I find interesting in topics like personal growth, art, hobbies, and much more. And I hope that as a subscriber, you'll benefit a little bit from reading my content. At the very least, you're supporting one person on their mission to realize their true vision for their life.
I see myself in Person B who replies with "K" -- gotta start making strong offers now 💪