Creativity Challenge 2002

Alan's Creativity Challenges 2003-30

Instant Improvisation

This week's CC was sparked by a conversation I had with a writer/publisher/agent
who I gave a ride to the Atlanta Airport to this morning.

During the approximate 90 drive we spoke continuously in a friendly tennis volley
back and forth approach. As I drove away from the Departure entrance I had the
aha of what we had just been doing. We were improvisationally talking.

Since taking classes in improvisational acting and performing with my local group
of improv actors I have grown to see Improv as one form of "instant creativity".
When it is done well Improv produces completely creative results and demonstrates
the many things that researchers have discovered about creative behavior: fluency,
flexibility, originality, elaboration, openness, varied perspectives, etc.

This week experiment doing Improv Talking with your friends, fellow workers,
students, family members perhaps even with strangers.
Improv Talking....Yes!!! (always support the person talking) plus Yes And!!!
(always support the person talking and add to what they are saying). Yet at the
same time take the conversation in varied directions linking to what is or has
been said.

MONDAY
Experiment with taking 90 degree turns from a conversation. Make the turn by
saying things such as..."Yes and that also relates to.....". "I see what you mean
and I was thinking that...."

TUESDAY
Experiment with reversing the direction of the conversation. Make the turns by
saying things such as "Yes and that brings me back to...." "Yes and what you were
saying earlier..."

WEDNESDAY
Experiment with taking future explorations in your conversations. Make the leaps
saying things such as..."That's certainly true now just thing about what will
happen in 2005, 2010, perhaps even 2100."

THURSDAY
Experiment by taking connected leaps. Take a key word they used and go off in a
synomonous direction. If a word has multiple meanings take the discussion in one
of the other meaning directions. Remember to recognize and accept what the other
person is saying, honor it...."yes and that also leads me to think about..."

FRIDAY
Experiment by changing scale of the conversation. If talking about a few people
move to many. If talking about one country switch to the entire globe. If one
professional switch to another.

One key suggestion always keep "YES!!! and YES AND!!!" in your mind and keep your
tone positive.

You might tell your fellow talker that you want to experiment so it does not
become manipulative and ends up angering or frustrating them. That we all do too
often. Play it as a game for fun. See how creative you both can be. You might
try this with a small group of people as a warm in a meeting or classroom.

Have a creative week!

Wandering Alan

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