{"id":617,"date":"2017-04-30T05:12:29","date_gmt":"2017-04-30T04:12:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dongpingzhang.com\/?p=617"},"modified":"2017-05-06T21:02:07","modified_gmt":"2017-05-06T20:02:07","slug":"my-practice-of-improve-and-the-book-improv-wisdom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.dongpingzhang.com\/?p=617","title":{"rendered":"My practice of improv and the book Improv Wisdom"},"content":{"rendered":"

I procrastinated from Friday night until the very early morning of Sunday before I committed myself to write about my book of the week, <\/span>Improv Wisdom – Don\u2019t Prepare, Just Show Up<\/span><\/i>, by Patricia Ryan Madson. <\/span><\/p>\n

Writing this summary has not escaped my mind, whether I was deadheading roses, or making flower arrangements, or planning for a strictly gluten-free dinner for friends with celiac disease. After hosting the dinner party Saturday night, naturally I should be very tired but I had a number of dreams about improv practices and writing this summary. I only recall fragments of them now. These are not atypical, both the dream part and not remembering much part. Before an important discussion that I will chair or a presentation I will deliver, I dream about the process of doing it for a couple nights leading to the actual activity after investing a lot effort on it. These dreams and their fragmented recollection help me feel grounded. They often also help me organise my thoughts of the underlying topics better. <\/span><\/p>\n

I am an extreme believer of being prepared with work and somewhat less so with life. Colleagues of mine who I have worked closely with could vouch for me. It was not incidental that I know the core subjects and the topics remotely-related to those that we would cover in a meeting. It is also definitely not magic that I appeared to know the basics of domains that seem to be so far away from what my own work requires. For technical meetings, how much value you can derive from the conversations for all parties depends on how well prepared you are. If I were going to spend all the time asking you, what terminology X means and what do you mean by that acronym. By the end of the scheduled meeting, we would only be able to establish a shared vocabulary and scratch the surface. That said, I strongly recommend people not to overuse acronyms and convey thoughts in a precise manner during a discussion. This is the baseline version of me. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Patricia\u2019s book <\/span>Improv Wisdom<\/span><\/i> is the \u201ctextbook\u201d for the improv course that I am taking this term. Recall that I just established the baseline version of me in previous paragraph, am I crazy to do an improv course? No! Very much the contrary! It is true that I had no clue what to expect in an improv class prior to attending one. But I knew this is something that would stretch me out of my comfort zone, worse, scare me terribly and I might find that I dread it miserably. The more challenging it is, the more effective it would be for me. The classes have turned out to be indeed very different. We are on our feet all the time. Most of us have not taken down any notes during the lectures. I tried to mentally reconstruct the activities of each class on my way driving home. Now you ask: what is it about? I do not know about the future sessions yet, but so far there were gales of laughters. It is about being present without being intensive or stressed, performing on your feet and acting without deep thinking involved, sharing controls with others instead of hogging it, being very attentive to what surrounds you. It also help us to drop the barriers that each of us builds around ourselves over the years, forget about that we might be judged by others and what that judgement would be. It may sound a cliche, but there is a lot of emphasis on bringing out the natural talent of yourself, what is distinctively your own. These are my reflections from the games we played rather than what the lectures focus on discussing about. Only through doing group activities rather than theoretical discussions, we break the molds that govern our thoughts and actions, become more spontaneous and more creative in the process. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Does practising improv contradict my baseline of being prepared? No. In my opinion, they enhance the benefit of each other. Have you ever prepared thoroughly for a discussion and only find you were tongue-tied during the actual session such that did not air your thoughts and contribute to the conversation much at all? Have you wished you would be more brave and participatory in events that happened in the past when you replay them in your mind? Have you felt lost and anxious while meeting a group of new people in a social networking event, even though you have looked up a few attendees ahead of time? (No, I have not. Being thrown into a new social environment actually excites me. But I know plenty of friends who feel this way though.) I think Rumi\u2019s poem (cited in Patricia\u2019s book) on two kinds of intelligence quoted below expressing this very well. Each of us has two kinds of intelligence: one related to preparation, one to improv. It would be utterly wasteful if we only exercise one kind living through our life. <\/span><\/p>\n

Two Kinds of Intelligence<\/b><\/p>\n

(From the translations of Rumi by Coleman Barks)<\/span>
\nThere are two kinds of intelligence: one acquired,<\/span>
\nas a child in school memorizes facts and concepts<\/span>
\nfrom books and from what the teacher says,<\/span>
\ncollecting information from the traditional sciences<\/span>
\nas well as from the new sciences.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

With such intelligence you rise in the world.<\/span>
\nYou get ranked ahead or behind others<\/span>
\nin regard to your competence in retaining<\/span>
\ninformation. You stroll with this intelligence<\/span>
\nin and out of fields of knowledge, getting always more<\/span>
\nmarks on your preserving tablets.<\/span><\/p>\n

There is another kind of tablet, one<\/span>
\nalready completed and preserved inside you.<\/span>
\nA spring overflowing its springbox. A freshness<\/span>
\nin the center of the chest. This other intelligence<\/span>
\ndoes not turn yellow or stagnate. It’s fluid,<\/span>
\nand it doesn’t move from outside to inside<\/span>
\nthrough conduits of plumbing-learning.<\/span><\/p>\n

This second knowing is a fountainhead<\/span>
\nfrom within you, moving out.<\/span><\/p>\n

To quote Patricia, improv is about discovering and exercising your second kind of intelligence.<\/span> Patricia summarises her decades of experience of teaching improv into thirteen maxims. She also recommends many activities to practice them. To say that I completed reading her book this week is truthful, but also meaningless if I were not to practice them in the days to come. I hope Patricia does not mind me sharing her thirteen maxims with you here. Acquiring improv skills is a little similar to getting CPR training. The more people practising it, the better we as a collective group. We can influence and teach each other through doing it, although I wish everyone great health and no CPR ever needed. <\/span><\/p>\n

Thirteen Maxims: <\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Say Yes<\/strong>
    \nJust say yes. <\/span>
    \nBecome a \u201ccan-do\u201d person. <\/span>
    \nLook for the positive spin, for what is right. <\/span>
    \nAgree with those around you. <\/span>
    \nCultivate yes phrases: \u201cYou bet\u201d; \u201cYou are right\u201d; \u201cI\u2019m with you\u201d; \u201cGood idea\u201d; \u201cOf course\u201d; \u201cSure\u201d; etc.<\/span>
    \nSubstitute \u201cYes and\u201d for \u201cYes but.\u201d Add something to build the conversation. <\/span>
    \nExercise the yes muscle. This builds optimism and hope. <\/span>\n<\/li>\n
  2. \n Don\u2019t prepare<\/strong><\/span>
    \nGive up planning. Drop the habit of thinking ahead. <\/span>
    \nAttend carefully to what is happening right now. <\/span>
    \nAllow yourself to be surprised. <\/span>
    \nStockpiling ideas for future use is unnecessary.<\/span>
    \nTrust your imagination. There is always something in the box. <\/span>
    \nWelcome whatever floats into your mind. <\/span>
    \nFear is a matter of misplaced attention. Focus on redirecting it. <\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Just show up<\/strong>
    \nWalk, run, bike, skip to the places that you need to be. <\/span>
    \nMotivation is not a prerequisite for showing up. <\/span>
    \nStart your day with what is important. <\/span>
    \nUse rituals to get things going. <\/span>
    \nShowing up to help others is already service. <\/span>
    \nChange your vantage point and refresh your mind. <\/span>
    \nLocation, location, location – in real estate and in life. <\/span>
    \nBe on time for the sake of others. <\/span>
    \nShow up on time for yourself. Lost time is never found. <\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Start anyway<\/strong>
    \nAll starting points are equally valid. <\/span>
    \nBegin with what seems obvious. <\/span>
    \nOnce it is under way any task seems smaller. <\/span>
    \nWhen speaking in public don\u2019t use a script. Write down questions and answer them. <\/span>
    \nTalk to your audience. Don\u2019t give a lecture. <\/span>
    \nTrust your mind. <\/span>
    \nEdit and develop ideas as you speak.<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. \n Be average<\/strong> <\/span>
    \nClose enough is perfect. <\/span>
    \nDare to be dull. <\/span>
    \nThink \u201cinside\u201d the box. <\/span>
    \nCelebrate the obvious. <\/span>
    \nWhat is ordinary to you is often a revelation to others. <\/span>
    \nRemember \u201cclassics\u201d or \u201cfavorites\u201d can be fresh ideas, too. <\/span>
    \nDon\u2019t make jokes. Make sense. <\/span><\/li>\n
  6. \n Pay attention<\/strong> <\/span>
    \nIf I have made any valuable discoveries, it has been owing more to patient attention than to any other talent. – Sir Isaac Newton. <\/span><\/i>
    \nLife is attention. <\/span>
    \nNotice everything, particularly the details. <\/span>
    \nBecome a detective. <\/span>
    \nShift your attention from yourself to others. <\/span>
    \nMake an effort to remember names and faces. <\/span>
    \nKeep on waking up. <\/span>
    \nThis moment happens only once. Treasure it. <\/span>
    \nAvoid multitasking. Attend to one thing at a time. <\/span><\/li>\n
  7. \n Face the facts<\/strong> <\/span>
    \nDon\u2019t fight reality. <\/span>
    \nAccept other people as they are. <\/span>
    \nWork with what you have been given. <\/span>
    \nWhat are the facts? You are probably not noticing all of them. <\/span>
    \nEmbrace the wobble. <\/span>
    \nInsecurity is normal. Count on it. <\/span><\/li>\n
  8. \n Stay on course<\/strong> <\/span>
    \nEvery improvisation has a point. <\/span>
    \nDon\u2019t let feelings alone run your show. <\/span>
    \nThere is meaning in everything we do, even small tasks. <\/span>
    \nKeep an eye on where you are going. <\/span>
    \nIf you miss the target, adjust your aim. <\/span>
    \nAsk often: \u201cwhat is my purpose?\u201d<\/span>
    \nWhat would not get done if you were not here? <\/span><\/li>\n
  9. \n Wake up to the gifts<\/strong><\/span>
    \nNotice that the glass is half full. <\/span>
    \nTreasure the details. <\/span>
    \nWho or what is helping you right now? <\/span>
    \nMake a point of thanking those with thankless jobs. <\/span>
    \nWhat are you doing to give back?<\/span>
    \nKeep the gift moving forward. <\/span>
    \nOur smallest actions count. Everything we do has the potential to help others. <\/span>
    \nMake \u201cthank you\u201d your mantra. <\/span><\/li>\n
  10. \n Make mistakes, please<\/strong> <\/span>
    \n
    \nIf you are not making mistakes, you are not improvising. <\/span>
    \nBe like a turtle: stick out your neck to make progress. <\/span>
    \nWhen you screw up, say \u201cTa-dah!\u201d and take a bow. <\/span>
    \nMistakes? Focus on what comes next. <\/span>
    \nLet go of outcomes. Cultivate a flexible mind. <\/span>
    \nMistakes may actually be blessings. <\/span>
    \nBecome a confident mistake-maker. Lighten up. <\/span>
    \nTry bricolage – use what is there artfully. <\/span>
    \nAdmitting a mistake shows character. <\/span><\/li>\n
  11. \n Act now<\/strong> <\/span>
    \nThe essence of improvising is action. <\/span>
    \nAct in order to discover what comes next. <\/span>
    \nYou don\u2019t need to feel like doing something to do it. <\/span>
    \nSchedule a difficult task and stick to your timetable. <\/span>
    \nInvite a buddy to join you in doing what you need to do. <\/span>
    \nDo the hard thing first. <\/span>
    \nTo find a new perspective, try doing something a different way. <\/span>
    \nSometimes not doing is what is needed. <\/span>
    \nIf you can\u2019t get out of it, get into it. <\/span><\/li>\n
  12. \n Take care of each other<\/strong> <\/span>
    \nBe someone\u2019s guardian angel. Make your partner look good. <\/span>
    \nRescue or join someone struggling. <\/span>
    \nShare control; don\u2019t hog it. <\/span>
    \nKindness is essential during chaos or a crisis. <\/span>
    \nTry giving yourself away. <\/span>
    \nAlways put positive thoughts into words and action. <\/span>
    \nDo \u201crandom acts of kindness.\u201d<\/span>
    \nPut other people\u2019s convenience ahead of your own. <\/span>
    \nListen as if your life depended on it. <\/span>
    \nDeliver more than you promise. <\/span><\/li>\n
  13. \n Enjoy the ride<\/strong> <\/span>
    \nFind joy in whatever you are doing, including ordinary tasks. <\/span>
    \nLook for ways to play. Play is essential to human growth. <\/span>
    \nLearning is enhanced when we lighten up. <\/span>
    \nLaughter is good medicine. <\/span>
    \nIf something is not to your liking, change your liking. <\/span>
    \nGive away smiles every day. <\/span>
    \nDo something just for the fun of it. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    I procrastinated from Friday night until the very early morning of Sunday before I committed myself to write about my book of the week, Improv Wisdom – Don\u2019t Prepare, Just Show Up, by Patricia Ryan Madson. Writing this summary has not escaped my mind, whether I was deadheading roses, or making flower arrangements, or planning … Continue reading My practice of improv and the book Improv Wisdom<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-rant"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paFL7T-9X","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.dongpingzhang.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/617","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.dongpingzhang.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.dongpingzhang.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.dongpingzhang.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.dongpingzhang.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=617"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"http:\/\/www.dongpingzhang.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/617\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":631,"href":"http:\/\/www.dongpingzhang.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/617\/revisions\/631"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.dongpingzhang.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=617"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.dongpingzhang.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=617"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.dongpingzhang.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=617"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}