Healthcare Improv
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Current Thoughts

Did I say this already?

Writin writin writin. Two days in a row. Unsure how many days I will comment about the streak of me writing but even if it is not mentioned, know that the count continues in my head. Last night was the opening of the Omaha Comedy Fest. I love the Omaha Comedy Fest so much because the organizers do a great job of making it fun and accessible for people from Omaha to interact with people who are improvisers and comedians for their job. I remember the first year I attended, I was just blown away by the people I saw on stage. It was less how wild they were and much more how simple everything was. Last night was mostly people from Omaha that I performed with but still I am always really impressed with everyone I saw and was able to perform with. I hope to attend some more events this weekend. If you live in Omaha, you should definitely check it out

Yesterday was about how improv has helped me be empathetic to the people in my life, both personally and professionally. Today is going to be discussing why that is an essential step to becoming more adaptable. The main idea behind improv improving empathy is that every time we come to improv rehearsal or a performance, the muscles needed to be empathetic to the people around us are being exercised. We are forced to imagine what our scene partner is thinking and trying to convey to inform our response. Then we usually get immediate feedback if that is correct. Situations in real life also frequently give immediate feedback in regards to if we are being satisfactorily empathetic. The idea is that saying Yes, and… to people is a great first step towards empathy, while saying Yes, and… to situations is a great first step towards being adaptable.

“See the world as it is rather than how you wish it to be”
— See the Comments for Quote Source

When I step on stage I need to see the scene as it is if I hope to meaningfully contribute to it. It also does not mean that I need to do whatever is happening in the scene, I can change the direction of the scene but only if I know and accept the scene as it is, rather than a different scene that exists solely in my head. Similarly, the events in my life are never completely in my control, but nothing will change unless I see and accept what the world is offering me first

“Above all, do not lie to yourself. A man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point where he does not discern any truth either in himself or anywhere around him, and thus falls into disrespect towards himself and others”
— See the Comments for the Quote Source

or in other words…

“To thine own self be true”
— See the Comments for the Quote Source

In the empathy workshops we discuss saying Yes, and… to the scene partners in our life by understanding their reality and being aware of our own desires so we are communicating as we desire. In this workshop, there is a heavy emphasis on to practice improv, you don’t need to be an extrovert, in fact many improvisers I know are heavily introverted. The “and” portion is just what you want to add to build a collaborative reality with your scene partner when focusing on developing empathy. During the Adaptability workshop, the “and” portion is driven by the principles and what is important in life. In this way, we are not at the mercy of the world.

“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach for my destination”
— See the Comments for the Quote Source

Many of the exercises from the Adaptability workshops are about how we proceed in unfamiliar circumstances. The goal of the workshop is to create the settings where each participant feels the sense of being knocked off balance but is able to get back to a balanced state

“Change your opinions, keep to your principles; change your leaves, keep intact your roots”
— See the Comments for the Quote Source

So that is the current format of my workshops, I do one that deals with individual communication (Empathy in this example) connected with another workshop that requires similar skills in a group setting. This underlies a central principle to the whole idea that improv has benefits well beyond the enjoyment felt in the moment. It is the idea that these communication skills can be learned through practice and can be scaled up to new situations

“Excellence demands effort and planned, deliberate practice of increasing difficulty”
— See the Comments for the Quote Source

I forget how much of this I have said already in previous posts. Also, please comment below which quote is your favorite and attribute it to the proper person! I promised everyone you would and so you must accept that!

Here is a list of previous blog entries for your reference!

Adaptability, Empathy, deliberate practiceMike Smithimprov, applied improv, adaptability, deliberate practice1 Comment