We’re all faced with the need to perform seamlessly in unfamiliar situations. Who faces a similar challenge to come up with creative ideas with no opportunity to prepare ahead of time? An improv comic. An improv comic routinely deals with unfamiliar situations, accepting and working with information presented by the audience or other performers and, with no chance to prepare ahead of time, getting people to laugh.
So let’s apply an improv comic-based approach to help us do a better job in unfamiliar situations that require thinking on our feet. An improv comic:
- Actively solicits input from the audience and others around them
- Listens closely to other participants for information & clues
- Quickly assesses the underlying structure of the situation
- Becomes comfortable with not being able to figure things out ahead of time
- Is open to spontaneity
- Depends on instincts
- Offers information and clues to others to help them co-participate successfully
- Works with and builds on information supplied by others
- Is able to employ a variety of talents to advance the situation
- Refines the process as new information is determined
Identify three new ideas for each of the approaches an improv comic would employ to improve your own performance when you can’t prepare ahead of time for unfamiliar situations.
Check out a compilation of "Change Your Character" creative thinking exercises and information on its use. – Mike Brown
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