tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795024335940175298.post8363827267694583622..comments2023-07-04T06:32:15.183-04:00Comments on My Nephew is a Poodle: The Zen of Improv: The Hardest Easiest Work (Part One)Pam Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01997629664057863762noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795024335940175298.post-81254023979381306072014-11-21T13:33:47.057-05:002014-11-21T13:33:47.057-05:00"YOU ARE ENOUGH" is a wonderful gift to ..."YOU ARE ENOUGH" is a wonderful gift to give to students and experienced improvisers alike. Being incredibly critical of our technique and being in our heads belongs in a classroom space and in a rehearsal space, but by the time we get to performance I feel like the most effective way to succeed is by raising the performers' self-worth. They've gotta know that their ideas and contributions are more than valid and useful, but they've also got to know that they can come up with infinite amounts of ideas so that they're okay with letting go of their first thoughts when better paths present themselves.<br /><br />Yes, we should examine our work critically and figure out what we do that makes our lives difficult. In the moment of performance, however? We do need to find a way to let go of that critical voice and get into a state of "non-doing."Edd Garciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12311861925358258761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2795024335940175298.post-18238007611111552602014-11-15T18:11:15.236-05:002014-11-15T18:11:15.236-05:00I agree with this article to some extent, but I th...I agree with this article to some extent, but I think it's missing a very important piece of the puzzle.<br /><br />In order to be a "non-doer", we must first learn what to "not-do". Non-doing is a consequence of mastery, not so much the other way around.<br /><br />A classic analogy is driving a car. At first it's daunting. Pedals, gearshifts, nobs, mirrors, the steering wheel... Not to mention the rules of the road, from following street signs to knowing not to tailgate. With time, this all becomes second nature to us, and the act of driving becomes something of a wu-wei activity.<br /><br />But this flow state is earned. A beginner does not have the capacity to truly go with the flow, because they haven't built the muscle memory. First they must learn how to "drive", step by step. They must learn the rules. They must consciously make proper choices based on those rules. Finally, with time, these conscious choices will become burned into memory, and solidify in the brain. It's at this point that the decisions can become automatic and produced without conscious effort. This is what non-doing really is.<br /><br />Now, it is possible to get in your own way. With improv, we sometimes over think, because we don't trust our own *earned* intuition. We will never perform at our best when we're in our head. **But always being out of our head limits our capacity to learn**. Being out of your head will give you the best performance *at your current skill level*, but it won't allow you to become significantly better.<br /><br />What we can do to get better is to always stretch our abilities. Let's go back to the car example.<br /><br />A professional race car driver was once a clueless teenager struggling at the wheel of a family sedan. Eventually, they were able to drive like it was second nature. But when they decided to race, they had a lot more to learn. They had to consciously learn power shifting, cornering, when to apply acceleration and brakes for the best results, and so on. This was learned through "being in their head". With time, they were able to access a flow state on the race track, and be a champion.<br /><br />And if they want to be even better, they will go back in their heads to learn even more advanced techniques. Eventually these techniques will be accessible in a flow state, too.<br /><br />This is what learning is. Internalizing new ideas so that we can internalize more advanced new ideas. Each time an idea is internalized, it becomes second nature, performable in a state of unconscious "non-doing". This frees up brain power for internalizing newer ideas on top of the previous ideas. It is an unending, beautiful process.<br /><br />(And I do think being able to access a flow state on command is a skill of its own that is very valuable to learn).BeaverHighnoreply@blogger.com