Improv(e) Life
How lessons from improvisational acting can help you brainstorm better
A few years ago I did one of the most terrifying things I’ve ever done: I took an improvisational acting class.
I’m not an actor-type, nor have I ever had such aspirations. In fact, as far as creatives go, I’m a pretty classic example of an introvert. But as a creative person, I thrive on experiencing new things. I believe that the best ideas are born when we step outside the box and explore the unknown outskirts. Much to my chagrin, that simple philosophy is how I found myself on stage with a bunch of professional actors.
But as it turns out, the improv class wasn’t so bad. It even unexpectedly taught me a few important lessons applicable to a more general creative process. I realized this one day while sitting in a stagnant brainstorming session with my team back in the agency office. It dawned on me that the core concepts of improvisational acting I had just learned could be really helpful if adapted and applied to our haphazard process at work. Here is how.
Why improv?
Improv basics seem almost stupidly simple and obvious, yet surprisingly, people overlook this stuff. In a team brainstorming session, it’s easy to fall into bad habits and negative patterns that unintentionally hinder or block creative thinking entirely. After all, how many times have we caught ourselves self-censoring or prematurely critiquing a teammate’s idea?
The unscripted, unpredictable nature of improvisational acting parallels not only life in general, but also the basic creative process of brainstorming. “Improv requires players to accept what they are given, to build on the ideas of others, and to encourage wild ideas,” says Peter Robie. It turns out that these are also unwritten requirements of a successful creative brainstorming session. Next time you feel creatively stuck, try applying these three concepts from improv to your process.
1.Yes please! Accepting all offers
In improv, actors are joined on stage by one or more collaborators without a specific plan for what will happen. The show is entirely unscripted. This means that the only way to keep the scene moving forward is to say yes—to go along with what is happening by accepting all offers made by fellow actors. Think about it, if you say no, if you react negatively to whatever idea is thrown out there, the offer gets shut down thus preventing the scene from moving forward. Everything stops.
The same is true in a creative brainstorming session. If your collaborators instantly reject an idea put forward, you may become frustrated, disheartened, or even embarrassed. Instant negativity compromises the momentum of the scene leaving nowhere to go. Innovation doesn’t happen in this type of critical and negative environment. When you say yes, everything can change. And more importantly, everything can move forward.
2. Make an offer
You can’t say yes to nothing. Besides accepting other people’s offers, make some of your own. In improv, this is an essential method actors use to craft a scene on the spot. It’s also how the most effective brainstorming sessions function. Rather than sitting there feeling sorry for yourself because you’re stuck, throw out an idea — any idea. Make an offer to yourself or your team so that the situation shifts. It doesn’t matter how insignificant or stupid the idea seems, a slight perspective change can make all the difference. Oftentimes the smallest contribution can trigger something much larger. After all, going somewhere is certainly better than going nowhere.
3. Status & structure matter
Status hierarchy is an important structural element on stage. Improv actors regularly explore the extremes of status distinction by exaggerating the characteristics of a particular stereotype in the character they have taken on. For example, if an actor has declared themselves a queen on stage, their colleague might intentionally embody extreme characteristics of a servant in order to create a more drastic contrast between the two.
It may be a bit of a stretch to think about this concept when working in a creative brainstorming session, but it’s relevant because of the importance of the basic concept of underlying structure. In other words, any creative idea eventually requires a basic foundation to evolve or mature. Think about basic archetypes, general frameworks and hierarchy of ideas in your respective craft. Try pushing one end of the spectrum farther, while exploring the possibilities of the opposite extreme. Applying this mechanism of emphasizing status and structure can take you to places you might not ordinarily visit.
Go forth, create
Next time you find yourself watching an improvised theatrical show, try paying attention to how the actors keep the experience moving forward by using these techniques. Then think about how as a creator, the basic fundamentals of improv can be applied to your own process in order to help generate new ideas and facilitate collaborative thinking. Or go ahead and step out of your circle of sameness entirely and try something crazy and new — take a class in improv.
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