Museful Captures

(click on picture to see full size)

After driving through an intense downpour, I turned onto a rural road and was treated to this beautiful scene.

 

“Creativity is intelligence having fun.”

– Albert Einstein

 

“You can’t use up Creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”  

– Maya Angelou

 

“Creativity blossoms at the crossroads of collaboration”  

– unknown

A Summer tune for you.

(click on the image to see a full version)

A Carolina Wren just belting it out.

After the Rain

The Space Between

For me, this exponential power of creativity is most evident in my work with Acting Improvisation, or Improv. While performing Improv for an audience, or leading Improv workshops, the focus is simple:

  • start from a clean slate, a blank canvas (Being Present in the moment)
  • accept what is being offered (Saying “Yes”)
  • make an offer back (Saying “Yes and …”)
  • fully listen to the response of that offer (Focus, Being Present)
  • accept that response, which is the next offer (“Yes”)
  • respond, make an offer (“Yes, and …”)
  • repeat until done (Finding an end)

One person is not tasked with creating and directing the scene or story. Each player only has to add the next response and offer. And let the collective journey have it’s space to take shape.

At it’s best, the Improv journey is spontaneous, co-creative, co-supportive, and so much fun for those performing; as well as, the audience that is watching. By releasing individual expectations of how things should go (Controlling), we create the space for the co-creative muse to come into play. It is this shared “space between”, between each performer and between the performers and the audience, where the magic happens. The result is often exponentially more exciting, satisfying, and rewarding to watch; filled with surprising discoveries and delightful outcomes.