Blog
Improvisation
The improvisation route to immediate experience
The human brain has evolved to make life easy for us. We do most of what we do effortlessly. Yes, we suffer sometimes from unfortunate biases and some of our heuristics don’t always work for us. But these are exceptions to the brain’s brilliance.
Business Beliefs
‘Beliefs’ are for things that aren’t true.
‘Values’ are for what you don’t do.
Beliefs and values are abstract concepts that are prized by consultants who have fallen under the spell of psychologists.
Why you should insist your facilitator is a skilled improviser too
‘Hello I’m an improviser’
When you are introducing yourself, it’s good to create a frisson of interest. Much of the time I’ll say I’m a facilitator. It’s accurate enough, even if it’s rather vague and has a broad range of meanings.
Improvise as a way of testing the ‘rules’ of life
It’s convenient to follow rules. If we already know what to do, there’s no hard thinking required. When we deliberately improvise, we put ourselves freshly into each moment, and give ourselves the opportunity to check out how we are doing with rules and conventions.
Whose story is it, anyway?
In an improvisation show or a workshop, when a group tells a story, who is the leader? Is it the person who speaks first?
Why safety matters
Life tends to be easier when you know what to expect. You feel more comfortable when you are in familiar territory. When a detailed, plausible plan is in place, you think you know what will happen next.
How to access your creativity with Improvisation
Meet your Muses: The Muses were Greek gods and goddesses and the Classical idea was that people were not in themselves creative. But you could – in the right circumstances – be inspired by the God or Goddess visiting you. You would be the instrument of that Muse’s creativity.
How to improve your communication skills with Improvisation
Get better at communicating… words… making sense. All of that stuff. Communication is an invaluable skill in social life and at the workplace. The ability to communicate effectively can have a significant influence on achieving your goals.
Why the Improvisation Academy?
The Comedy Store Players joined me in 2013 in setting up the Improvisation Academy. Since 1985, the Players have been performing as a team, their longevity recognised by the Guinness Book of Records.
How to boost your confidence with Improvisation
It seems counterintuitive that something as seemingly ‘scary’ as an improvisation class would have a positive effect on your confidence. You’d think that in order to improvise, you need to have a lot of self confidence already.
Where’s the improvisation on TV and film?
Let’s trace a few strands of improvisational history. The films (and plays) of Mike Leigh, such as Abigail’s Party, Nuts in May and Naked, are scripted entirely before they are filmed or played before an audience.
Three Myths of Improvisation – Part 3
The third myth says that improvisation is chaos. It’s not. There’s a continuum from complete predictability through complexity and onto complete chaos.
The Inspirational Facilitator *OFFLINE* Programme – for the course you can start today!
Applied Improvisation Online Course
Paul Jackson Associates Limited. A registered company in England and Wales. Company Number 09564618. VAT Number GB 213 379812. Registered Address 10 Greville House, Lower Road, Harrow on the Hill, Middlesex, HA2 0HB. Postal Address 34a Clarence Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 4NG Telephone 01727 843 820 Mobile 07973 953 586
© 2009-2018 Paul Jackson Associates / The Improvisation Academy - All Rights Reserved
