SOLVING IMPROVISATIONAL CHALLENGES
(Reporter: Marielle R. Villaluz)
Improvisation cultivates a way of thinking that turns on the willingness to say “yes” — to play with
ideas and with others — rather than judge or analyze. The rules that guide this kind of engagement generate
positive emotional connections in groups while strengthening the “muscles” associated with successful
collaboration and creative thinking under pressure. Unrehearsed, unedited interactions guided by clear
structure and agreement, followed by cognitive reflection and discussion of the thoughts and emotions that
rise up in awareness bring the here and now into focus.
More than solving a specific dilemma, the goal is developing a creative mindset that expands the
way we view and understand problems. Spontaneity rises up naturally through improvisation warm-ups
and research shows that as spontaneity increases, anxiety decreases and cognitive ability is enhanced. This
psychological and emotional state is what we need to look at situations with new eyes and respond to
problems in novel ways.
“Through spontaneity we are re-formed into ourselves. It creates an explosion that for the moment frees us
from handed-down frames of reference, memory choked with old facts and information and undigested
theories and techniques of other peoples’ findings. Spontaneity is the moment of personal freedom when we
are faced with reality, and see it, explore it and act accordingly. In this reality, the bits and pieces of ourselves
function as an organic whole. It is the time of discovery, of experiencing, of creative expression.” Viola Spolin
Often nonverbal games exercises, through which participants realize a sense of being accepted without
explanation or judgment, generate social bonds and spontaneity. When defenses are reduced and
connections develop among group members, more content-driven games are introduced. The improvisation
rules of “yes…and” — acceptance, receptivity, agreement, working with what is given and experimenting with
different ways to make something work — produce a shift in mindset. It is this shift that can yield new thinking
and an empowered capacity to try something new.
THE WAYS OF IMPROVISATION (Dave Morris, 2016):
1. Play – means engaging in something for the joy of it and is that idea of engaging in something just
because you like it. The term ‘play’ is loaded, but it does seem to more effectively sum up how we
approach and respond to the process. It seems to more effectively communicate the sense of
freedom that precedes the tough decision-making, editing and shaping processes, or which at least
allows you the freedom to occasionally escape from the more draining aspects of creation and
performance. Importantly, the term ‘play’ also reminds us of the simplicity and beauty of this aspect
of the process, the innate innocent pleasure that is found within it, and reminds me of the vital part
that this sense of enjoyment and pleasure has played as a core reason for our continued
involvement in the form.
2. Let yourself fail - In improvisation, failing is not considered a problem, because failing is easy.
However, the hard part is to be “okay” with that, to let yourself fail, and to accept that failure is a
natural way of things. It is the fear of failure that does most of the time. Because as soon as we
start fearing failure, we start getting worried about it. So, we will keep thinking about all the failings
we are going to do and then, we will probably fail. Improvisers understand that if we fail, failing does
not make us a failure because we can always start again.
3. Listening – “Listening is the willingness to change”. If someone is not willing to change based on
what we are telling him/her, then he/she is not really listening and is just going to let us talk to
him/her and then he/he is going to respond. However, listening is an important factor in
improvisation. Improv is a collaborative art form and collaboration means taking yourself out of the
equation. Getting that ego about what you believe and what you think out of the way so that instead
of it being your idea and my idea, it becomes the first idea and the second idea and the third idea,
we’re just going to listen and react and change.
4. Say “yes” – In improv, a series of “yeses’ will take us somewhere. A series of noes doesn’t even
get started and doesn’t go anywhere. Because the hardest part is that you can have 10,000 yeses
in a row and it just takes one no to stop it all and ruin it. So say ‘Yes’.
5. Say “and” – In connection with saying “yes” is saying “and” because people who say “yes and”
means they have something else in their mind that he/she has something to contribute. Bringing a
brick to pile and putting all these bricks together will let people realized that working with saying
“and” is very significant in improv andeven in real life. Saying “Yes, and” is better than “Yes, but”
because “but” makes contradictions.
6. Play the game - means there are rules to follow, and rules free us up to improvise. By giving
ourselves these constrictions that guide our impulses, it funnels our creative process into some
kind of product. The process of improvisation and those rules help us create something.
7. Relax and have fun – this is the most important part because by relaxing and having fun, we will
be able to play, to let ourselves fail, to listen, to say “yes”, to say “and”, and to play the game. By
just relaxing, we let ourselves just flow with the situation and discover possibilities. Because after
all, improvisation is the art of possibilities.
