Saturday, January 15, 2011

Stop Thinking

This is something new to me.

You see, I recently signed up for an Improv class and the first thing we were told to do was to "stop thinking", or put another way, to "stop being perfect".  Listen, I don't have an issue with ceasing to be perfect as I haven't quite started yet, but not thinking ?  Huh ?

Too much thinking kills improv as you lose the moment, the impulse, the gut reaction and, ultimately,  (often) the laugh.   If you think (ha!) about it, too much thinking in life can kill the moment too.  We've all over - analysed a situation to the point of non existence, turned our minds around to the other side of a feeling or desire because maybe we were worried of consequence or reaction or, more often, we were just afraid. 

I like what improv is teaching me about this - to be in the moment, to focus on your current situation and just do / say / feel what comes to mind at that instant, in that second.  Undoubtedly, this is going to get me in quite a bit of trouble but you know what ?  I don't care.   No one said I was perfect.

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