5 Positive Traits of Improvisers

I came across this great article (and video) on The Do's and Don'ts of Improv Comedy! Click HERE to read the article and see Liam Neeson completely break all the rules of improv . . . And, it got me thinking . . .

I'm a HUGE advocate of teaching improv to everyone because I thinks it teaches all of us to be BETTER PEOPLE. Watching this video and reading this article, 5 things struck me about improv in the "real" world:

1. INCLUSION

Improv is about including OTHERS in the scene, whether it is the audience or the other players. Improvisers understand that the scene is funnier, the moment richer when they include others. The same goes for life. Look at the person who just walked up to the most awkward person in the place and is having a genuine, engaged conversation. Odds are, that person has practiced improv in their life.

2. ACCEPTANCE

The "yes, and . . . " rule is all about ACCEPTING what IS. An improviser wastes everyone's time when they fight what has been offered in the scene -by fighting what IS- and the same happens in life. Accepting what is before you and DEALING with it is where your CREATIVITY comes in to play. People waste so much time fighting what they cannot control, rather than controlling their response to a situation. I find that those with improv training are better at rolling with the punches.

3. RELEASE

Improvisers understand that there are a hundred different ways an offer can be accepted and added to. They quickly release 99 of those options and pick ONE. Then they move on. No regrets. No going back. They make a split-second decision and move ON. Applying this to life, an improviser realizes that not everything is going to work out perfectly, and they are happy to just move on and TRY AGAIN.

4. TEAMWORK

Improvisers quickly learn the value of being a team player. Team players are focused on the success of the group and not focused selfishly on themselves. If your improv team hates you, they will -at best -tolerate you. The worst case scenario for improvisers who are selfish and not part of the group is outright animosity and sabotage of your scenes. Improv scenes with an overbearing, selfish actor are uncomfortable to watch. In the business world, selfish folks get the same kind of treatment and it is uncomfortable to participate.

5. INDIVIDUALITY

Improvisers LOVE their teammates for their unique individual strengths. This is the way it should be in life. Where everyone's strengths are supported and showcased. Improvisation teaches the players to bring out the unique strengths of everyone in a scene. If Mary does a spot-on, hysterical impression of a celebrity, then Max might steer the scene in the direction of getting Mary to showcase that skill. It makes the scene funnier and they BOTH look good. I've never understood why business "leaders" spend so much time trying to build up someone's weak skills to the detriment of showcasing their amazing skills.

Why are you here?

You can go to any mall or park or tourist attraction and find those boards that say "You are Here". It's always comforting to know WHERE  you are, but, have you thought about WHY you are here?

Seriously. Why are you IN the game? When you work or volunteer, that is the question you must ask yourself.Because, at some point, things are going to get messy. And difficult. And demanding.

So, for today's creativity prompt, I'm asking you to look at all the things you do and ask yourself WHY? 

Are you . . . 
involved to make a paycheck?
involved to help others?
involved to feel important?
involved to support a great leader?
involved to change the world?
involved to change your world?
involved to advance your career?
involved to be on the inside track?
involved to keep an eye on leadership?
involved to look good to outsiders?

Get out an old-fashioned piece of paper and write at the top, "I AM INVOLVED TO . . ." then spend the next 5 - 10 minutes writing down ALL the reasons you are involved. Next, CIRCLE those reasons that make you feel good. If you have more reasons that make you feel happy and good, then keep on keeping on. If there are fewer reasons that make you feel good, then a change needs to occur . . . 

Show Me The Money - 5 Ways to Start Thinking and Behaving Differently With Money

I write about creativity, so why in the heck would I write about money?? Because, in my experience, people have a difficult time being creative if they are WORRYING about something in their life. LOTS of people worry about MONEY.

Worrying, in general, is a creativity killer and the sad fact is - the more you worry about something - the more likely it is to come true. I want you to be a thriving, creative being so, here are some tips to get you started on thinking more CREATIVELY about money.

Over the years, I've come to change my attitudes about money:

(It's okay, you can roll your eyes and tell me I'm crazy, after reading my ideas. My husband, after 17 years together is only now starting to start to agree with me on some of the ways I think about money. Hee hee.)

I believe that money needs to "flow", that I need to bring it in and send it out, if I hoard it, or spend with a "stingy" -or finite mindset-  things don't go well for me. I found myself in dire financial straights in my early twenties: barely any money for rent, lost a roommate and a broken-down car. I knew I had to change my situation and ATTITUDE about money, fast! These are some things I did that just might help you . . . .

1. DEFINE NEEDS VERSUS WANTS
Seriously. First step. As adults, our only basic physical needs are shelter, food and clothing -and medical attention/medicine if we are ill. Everything else is a want. If you're a parent, your kids will have some other absolute needs. But, that's it. When I was struggling with money this attitude-shift was the major one I had to overcome before I could get out of my hole. So many times, when I finally had some money, I'd spend it on a "want", telling myself, "I deserve this." Maybe I deserved it but, it wasn't something I needed and sent me farther into a hole!
It took many mis-steps but, I finally started by . . .
a.) Being grateful for what I did have (writing it down in my journal);
 b.) "Treasure-mapping" my wants by pulling magazine photos of things that I knew were wants and glueing them in my journal. For me, this helped me feel a little bit like I already "owned" those things. Over time, I'd flip through my journal and pull OUT the things I didn't want anymore. Funny thing was -as my money situation improved I knew I could be very specific about what I wanted and a lot of the "wants" I had came to me! And;
c.) Exploring creative ways to get my "wants" in free or inexpensive ways. Garage sales, thrift stores and the public library became my greatest resources and suddenly getting my "wants" met in this way became a game!

2. SIMPLIFY
When my car was dead, it certainly simplified my financial life. I didn't have to worry about being too broke to buy gas; pay for oil changes, etc. I even cancelled my car insurance -until the car was up and running again. I was lucky enough to live in a place with excellent public transportation and found that the time spent on the bus was time to read, learn my lines or take a nap! I also sold a lot of my extra stuff to make ends meet during that period in my life and found that there were fewer knick-knacks to dust, etc. Reduce, reuse, recycle is a good way to simplify. It has become another "game" for me to find new ways to up-cycle stuff after it's original use has passed. Or, if I'm "bored" with my house, I make a game of moving stuff around in new ways. A piece of furniture that I hated in the family room suddenly looks PERFECT in my bedroom!

3. LEARN
I read every book I could get my hands on about finances and money and flow. During this period of time I read:
The Wealthy Barber (Advice on how to handle your money, told in an easy-to-understand novel format.)
Your Money or Your Life (A look at how many HOURS of your life are spent
The Tightwad Gazette (A super-extreme treatise on paying the least amount possible for EVERYTHING)
The Millionaire Next Door (A surprising twist. The most cash-rich person in your world might be driving the most beat-up car.)

That combo of books and a TON of books on creativity got me to start thinking differently about money. I realized I didn't HAVE to think about -or behave with- my money the same way my parents had. Figuring out how I was going to deal with money so I actually HAD some became a creative exercise.

4. STOP THINKING ABOUT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK
This is HUGE! Look around you. What do you own just because your friends own one, too? You'll spend a fortune keeping up with your friends. Dave Ramsey said it best:
"We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like."

Stop it. Just stop.

5. GIVE MONEY AWAY
Ooooh, this is the counterintuitive one. This is the one that freaks people out. (It's the one that REALLY freaked my husband out!) But, I truly believe that money needs to flow through this world. Your money supports what you're buying. If you're spending money on a product for a company whose ideals you don't believe in, you're supporting that company's ideals. But, when you give money to causes you believe in -or to help others- you are sending your money out into the world to support what YOU believe in. I tithe, I donate to causes I believe in and I volunteer my time to causes I believe in. And it all comes back to me ten-fold. Even when I was broke, I'd give away the coins in my pocket . . .