I practice improvisation which is in itself a challenge. Because our world is so fixated on product and here improvisation is process work. The beauty of improvisation is its ability to move me into unknown territories and break me free of habit. To encounter the uncomfortable and the unknown and survive that. It teaches that my mind is not the only authority, that the thoughts and feelings that pass through me are not who I am, but only one of the multitude of components that compose the “who” I am. Improvisation draws me into its world because of itʼs surprises, its playfulness and the sheer beauty of self-discovery. And it takes me on a ride, a journey, that is simultaneously exciting and challenging. A good improvisation is one in which I am being led by the improvisation rather than me leading the improvisation. The more open I can be to the changes inside of me, the freer and wilder the ride will be. My job is to be open, to be the channel through which the improvisation flows. I donʼt want my self, my personality, or fears to inhibit my work, I want my personality to enhance my work.
To be a good improviser I have to pass through three stages of development:
1 ) get over myself — learn that everything and all things that arise from within me as material to be put directly into the improvisation as soon as possible;
2) get some skills — learn and practice how to notice the feeling states that pass through me, be able to act on them accordingly, to craft space and time with voice, movement and/or language, sense the ongoiog musicality of each and every moment;
3) figure out what I want to say ± make clear and easy decisions about what works in the moment, decisions that are not guided by me, but rather take place in the instanct compostion of each moment