Comments on: Improv and Beginner’s Mind

By: Paul

Paul — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:53:15 +0000

Interesting thoughts. I tend to think of this as a difference between where we all were in college (the world was our oyster…no idea what we’d be doing now) to today (As a teacher I am very much a standard worker…one of the tropes held up in political speeches as an example). However, looking at it from the point of view of where am I more expert and where am I less open…I feel that in my particular field (I don’t know how broadly this applies) the more open you are to new ideas, change etc. the more genuine and successful you will be. Anyone falling back on the same lesson plan year after year is going to become stale. Anyone accepting the system as it is and not seeking improvement is going to be come part of that system. This in mind…I’ve had to keep myself open to new ideas because the industry is full of examples of those who don’t. The problem for me is the tendency that those of us who take this point of view have of being disliked by those who don’t.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:24:48 +0000

Everyone, thank you for your thoughtful comments! Kate, this resonates for me especially: “There’s comfort in familiarity but also a touch of laziness.” Riding that edge is tough but critical for me to feel energized, stimulated, engaged…

@DragonKat, I like the idea of releasing the pressure of knowing everything you’re supposed to know. Being surrounded by newbies, you can let yourself be a newbie too (there’s more joy in that, I think, than in being “the one who knows more”) – this week, I’m rediscovering some of the lessons I learned about improv long ago, in a way that makes them fresh for me.

And @Aisha, you remind me of the importance of being a true beginner – of pushing yourself into those vulnerable but critical places where you really are a “newbie,” even if you’re used to being an expert or someone w/ a lot of experience in other areas of life. If nothing else, I think this must be humbling, and deepen your empathy…

I could go on and on – but will just say thanks again, everyone, and this kind of exchange is just why I started another blog…I missed you :)

By: kate

kate — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 02:58:16 +0000

New beginnings are exciting! I think it’s worthwhile to start anew. It’s funny, your post reminds me that whenever I’m feeling jaded, like I’ve run through something a million times before and I know it already, I can feel my mind closing. There’s comfort in familiarity but also a touch of laziness. I think the most original ideas come from an almost childlike, unschooled place within. A place that doesn’t concern itself with what has been said or done before, or whether an action is stupid or funny or embarrassing. Maybe the rub is knowing when to apply the experience you have to an idea to make it shine?

By: DragonKat747

DragonKat747 — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:27:11 +0000

One thing I enjoy the most about teaching early level WIT classes is the chance to play without the “pressure” of knowing all the things I am supposed to know. When playing with new students, just working on one new skill they’re learning, I get a chance to play with that toy to the exclusion of all the others I’m “supposed” to be using. It’s fun! And it’s also fun to see others “get it” and take ahold of that new toy and use it with some skill.

This makes me want to color in a coloring book.

By: Aisha

Aisha — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:52:15 +0000

I love the way you’ve embraced this change. I’ve found myself in so many beginner situations lately…mostly those first steps out on faith. Now, I’m at a point where I have to step out again or risk losing the momentum of those first steps. I have hope that the beginnings and endings bring more than what I could ever have imagined or planned for myself.
Great post, too! This is exactly what I needed to read today.