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 that 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 ongoing 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 instant composition of each
moment. If I do not develop in that order, then I end up jumping to the third step, never really cross-examining the self, staying only with content approved by my fears, judgments, crtitical mind.
