TEDxVictoria - Dave Morris: The Way of Improvisation

Summary

In this engaging talk, Dave Morris, an improviser, shares insights on how the principles of improvisation can enhance everyday life. He outlines seven key skills: play, allow failure, listen, say yes, say and, play the game, and relax to have fun. Morris emphasizes that life, like improvisation, is unscripted and unpredictable. By embracing these skills, we can live more fully in the moment, collaborate effectively, and approach challenges with a creative and open mindset.

Takeaways

• 🎭 Improvisation is a creative process of making things with what is at hand, akin to creating something out of nothing.
• 🎨 Improvisation is not limited to comedy, jazz, or hip-hop; it is a versatile process applicable to various fields, including life itself.
• 👫 The skills used in improvisation, such as playfulness and listening, are beneficial for personal development and can be applied to everyday life.
• 💡 Life is improvised, and embracing the principles of improvisation can lead to a more fulfilling and present existence.
• 🤹 Play is essential for adults as well as children, and it's about engaging in activities purely for enjoyment, fostering a sense of presence.
• 🔄 Failing is a natural part of the improvisation process, and it's crucial to accept and learn from failures rather than fearing them.
• 👂 Listening is more than just waiting to respond; it involves being fully present and open to change based on what others are communicating.
• 🤝 Collaboration in improvisation requires setting aside personal ego to build upon ideas collectively, creating a unified vision.
• 🙆‍♂️ Saying 'yes' in improvisation is about accepting and building upon others' ideas, leading to more dynamic and creative outcomes.
• 🧱 The 'Yes, and' approach encourages individuals to not only accept but also add to ideas, creating a collaborative and constructive environment.
• 🎲 Playing by the rules, or 'playing the game,' in improvisation provides structure that can actually enhance creativity and innovation.
• 😌 Relaxing and having fun are integral to the improvisation process, allowing for more spontaneity and enjoyment in both performance and life.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the speaker's presentation?

The main topic of the speaker's presentation is 'The Way of Improvisation,' discussing the principles of improvisation and how they can be applied to everyday life.

Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of play in life?

The speaker emphasizes the importance of play because it represents engaging in activities for the joy of it, which is a skill often lost as people grow older and become more focused on work and seriousness.

What does the speaker mean by 'Let yourself fail'?

The speaker means that it's important to be okay with failure and to accept it as a natural part of the process, rather than fearing it and allowing that fear to hinder creativity and progress.

How does the speaker define 'listening' in the context of improvisation?

In the context of improvisation, the speaker defines 'listening' as being fully present and open to change based on what others are saying, rather than just waiting for a turn to respond.

What is the significance of 'Say yes' in improvisation according to the speaker?

The significance of 'Say yes' in improvisation is that it allows the interaction to progress and create a narrative or situation, whereas a series of 'no's would halt any progress or creativity.

What is the difference between 'Yes-men' and 'And-men' as explained by the speaker?

According to the speaker, 'Yes-men' simply agree with ideas, while 'And-men' not only agree but also add to the idea, contributing to a collaborative and creative process.

What does the speaker suggest by 'Play the Game'?

The speaker suggests that engaging with the rules or structures (the 'game') of a situation allows for more freedom within those constraints, guiding the creative process and aiding in the improvisation.

Why does the speaker include 'Relax and have fun' as a rule of improvisation?

The speaker includes 'Relax and have fun' as a rule because it encourages a mindset that is open to enjoyment and creativity, rather than being overly serious or tense, which can stifle improvisation.

How does the speaker use the story of a knight and a dragon to demonstrate the principle of 'Say yes'?

The speaker uses the story of a knight and a dragon to show how a series of affirmative responses can quickly build a narrative and create a shared story, illustrating the power of agreement in improvisation.

What is the overarching message the speaker hopes to convey about life and improvisation?

The overarching message is that the skills and principles of improvisation, such as play, acceptance of failure, listening, collaboration, and having fun, can be applied to life to enhance creativity, collaboration, and overall enjoyment.

Outlines

00:00

🎭 Embracing the Art of Improvisation

The speaker, an improviser and teacher, introduces the concept of improvisation as a creative process rather than a product. They emphasize the importance of play, which is often lost in adulthood, and the need to be present in the moment. The speaker also discusses the fear of failure and how it can hinder creativity, advocating for the acceptance of failure as a natural part of the process. They introduce seven skills of improvisation that can be applied to everyday life, starting with the importance of play and the willingness to fail.

05:01

🤝 The Power of 'Yes' and Active Listening

The speaker delves into the principles of improvisation, highlighting the importance of active listening and the collaborative nature of the art form. They use a demonstration to illustrate the impact of saying 'yes' to ideas, which allows for the creation of a story together. The speaker contrasts this with the negative impact of saying 'no', which halts the creative process. They also introduce the concept of 'Yes, and', which encourages building upon others' ideas to create something greater than the sum of its parts.

10:02

🎲 Playing the Game and Enjoying the Process

The speaker continues to explore the principles of improvisation, discussing the role of rules in guiding creativity. They define 'playing the game' as engaging with the rules of any activity, which can free individuals to be more creative within those constraints. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of relaxing and having fun, suggesting that this approach can lead to a more enjoyable and successful life. They conclude by reiterating the value of these improvisation skills in enhancing everyday experiences.

Keywords

💡Improvisation

Improvisation refers to the act of creating or adapting spontaneously without prior preparation. In the context of the video, it is presented as a process that can be applied to various fields such as comedy, music, and even life itself. The speaker emphasizes that improvisation is not just about making things up on the spot but is a way of engaging with the present moment and creating something out of nothing, as illustrated by the audience's participation in the storytelling exercise.

💡Play

Play is defined as engaging in an activity for enjoyment and recreation. The video discusses how adults often lose their sense of play as they grow older, which is characterized by doing something simply because it is enjoyable. The speaker encourages rediscovering play as a means to be present in the moment and to enhance one's life, contrasting it with the seriousness and preoccupations of work.

💡Failure

Failure, in the video, is presented not as a negative outcome but as a natural part of the learning and creative process. The speaker encourages the audience to 'let themselves fail,' suggesting that it is essential to be okay with failure in order to grow and improve. This concept is tied to the idea that fear of failure can hinder one's ability to be present and creative, as opposed to embracing it as a part of the improvisational process.

💡Listening

Listening, as discussed in the video, is more than just hearing; it is about being fully present and open to the ideas and messages of others. The speaker distinguishes between passive listening, which is often just waiting for a turn to speak, and active listening, which is about being willing to change one's perspective based on what is heard. This concept is crucial for collaboration and is exemplified by the speaker's emphasis on listening as a foundational skill in improvisation.

💡Yes

Saying 'Yes' in improvisation is a fundamental agreement to accept and build upon the ideas of others. The video uses a demonstration to show how a series of 'Yes' responses can lead to a collaborative and creative outcome, whereas a 'No' can halt the process. The speaker highlights the importance of affirmation in moving forward and creating something together, which is a central principle in improvisational theater and can be applied to real-life interactions.

💡And

The concept of 'And' in the video signifies the act of not only agreeing with an idea but also adding to it, which is a key principle in improvisation. The speaker contrasts 'Yes, but', which can negate or contradict, with 'Yes, and', which is about building and expanding upon an idea. This approach fosters collaboration and creativity by encouraging individuals to contribute to a collective effort, as opposed to working in isolation.

💡Game

In the context of the video, a 'Game' refers to any activity with rules that guide the participants' actions. The speaker argues that rules in games, whether in a board game like Monopoly or in the process of filling out a job application, actually liberate the participants to improvise within the given structure. This concept is used to illustrate how constraints can lead to more creative and focused outcomes in both games and life.

💡Relax

Relaxing is presented in the video as a state of being that allows for better engagement with the present moment and more effective improvisation. The speaker advises against the tension and stress that can come from overthinking or worrying about outcomes, suggesting that a relaxed state enables better listening, more openness to failure, and a greater ability to play and have fun, which are all essential for improvisation and an improved life experience.

💡Fun

Fun is emphasized as an essential element of the improvisational process and of life in general. The video suggests that by approaching life with a sense of play and enjoyment, individuals can be more present, creative, and open to new experiences. The speaker encourages the audience to 'relax and have fun,' indicating that this attitude can lead to a more enjoyable and fulfilling life, as it allows for the spontaneous and unforced creation of experiences.

💡Collaboration

Collaboration is described as the act of working together to create something, which is a central theme in the video. The speaker highlights that improvisation is a collaborative art form that requires listening, accepting, and building upon the ideas of others. This concept is exemplified by the 'Yes, and' principle, where individuals contribute to a collective creation rather than focusing solely on their own ideas, which is a key aspect of successful improvisation.

Highlights

Improvisation defined as a process of creating something out of nothing, not just a product.

Improvisation is associated with various fields like comedy, jazz, hip-hop, and even MacGyver's inventive skills.

The speaker introduces 'The Way of Improvisation' as a philosophy applicable to life beyond theater or music.

Most students of improvisation aim to improve their personal and professional lives, not to become professional improvisers.

Life is an improvised experience, with skills from improvisation applicable to everyday living.

Seven skills and steps of improvising are translated into real-life applications.

The importance of 'Play' as a fundamental skill, often lost as adults.

Failing is a natural part of the process, and accepting it is key to growth.

Listening is more than just waiting to respond; it's about being open to change.

Collaboration in improvisation requires setting aside personal ego for collective creativity.

The universal rule of improvisation: 'Say yes' to build upon ideas and create a narrative.

The demonstration of how 'Yes' can create a story, while 'No' halts it.

The concept of 'Yes, and' to build upon each other's ideas constructively.

Playing by the 'Game' rules can actually free us to be more creative within set boundaries.

Relaxing and having fun is the final rule for a more enjoyable and successful improvisation.

The speaker, Dave Morris, concludes by emphasizing the value of improvisation in enhancing life experiences.

Transcripts

Transcriber: Mel Simmons Reviewer: Peter van de Ven

Hello, hi, wow.

Very attractive audience.

(Laughter)

So, if you can't tell by the way I'm dressed, I am an improviser,

and improvisation is what I do --

let me go back here, there we are --

and improvisation is what I do and what I teach.

I'm sure we all know what improvisation is, right?

I'm assuming. Give me some nods here.

I like this interaction, yeah, give me some nods.

So, improvisation: we're making things with what is at hand.

We're creating something out of nothing,

we're making it up.

But still, when we hear the word improvisation,

we all think of something.

Who here thinks of improv comedy, when they hear improvisation?

Who here thinks of jazz music?

Anybody? Yeah, there you are, sexy.

Who here thinks of freestyle rapping or hip-hop?

Anyone? There we go, we got some hands.

Who thinks of McGyver?

(Laughter)

There it is, right?

Mac.

Dude would improvise the most amazing things.

And all of you, are right.

Improvisation is all of those things,

but what I love about it

is that it's not just one of those things.

Improvisation isn't actually even a thing,

when you think about it.

Improvisation is a process;

it's a way of making a thing.

It's not a product that I can give you or show you,

what I do is I improvise theater,

or hip-hop, or explosive devices.

(Laughter)

What I'm going to talk about today,

I'm going to talk to you about what I call

"The way of improvisation."

The way...

When I teach improv, the majority of students I have,

whether they're students or adults,

none of them actually want to be professional improvisers.

None of them.

They just want to improve their lives.

And, what I've found is that the skills that I use and teach in improvisation

are the skills I use when I live my life.

Because life, believe it or not,

is improvised.

(Laughter)

I'm going to take you through seven skills and seven steps of improvising

that I teach to people,

and we're going to translate those into our real lives.

You with me?

Give me some nods, I like the nods.

Yeah, good, awesome.

The first of these skills,

the first thing I have to teach, especially with adults,

is "Play."

Very simple, we all knew how to do this when we were children,

but as we grow up, we slowly start losing our sense of play, right?

And what play is,

is that idea of engaging in something just because you like it.

Like, "Oh, this is fun."

And we lose that as we get older.

And play happens here,

in this moment, in my body.

What play becomes as we get older,

as we take it more seriously it becomes the opposite of play,

which is work, which everybody hates.

(Laughter)

Because work is serious, and we start thinking about it,

and we get worried about it, and we're stuck in our heads,

and we aren't just playing and being present in the moment.

And this, right here, is where life happens.

Where everything happens, in the moment,

so let's get there, instead of here.

The second step:

"Let yourself fail."

We already heard a very handsome doctor talk a lot about failure,

so I'll try not to spend too much time on it here.

(Laughter)

-- such a handsome doctor --

(Laughter)

But notice that it says "Let yourself fail."

It's not just "Fail".

Because failing is easy,

we can all do it.

The hard part is to be okay with that and to "Let yourself fail,"

and accept that failure is a natural way of things --

the doctor said it so much more intelligently

but I'm an improviser, we're pretty much the same --

(Laughter)

And it's this fear,

the fear of failure is what does it, right?

Because when you start fearing failure, you start getting worried about it,

it gets you right back up here in your head again

and you worry and you think about all the failing you're going to do,

and then you probably will fail.

Improvisers understand that if you fail --

Failing does not make you a failure.

That's a big difference there.

That you failed doesn't mean you're a failure, it means,

"Oh, I failed, I screwed up, well I'm an improviser so...

...I'll just start again."

And that's it, that's the worst thing that happens.

The next step is "Listening."

You've all probably heard that phrase

about how we have two ears, and two eyes, and one mouth,

so we should listen and watch twice as much as we speak.

Right? You know that?

Not true.

Most people listen just enough

to be able to respond.

But we don't listen with every part of our being to what they're saying.

A very wise man once told me, that listening ...

(Laughter)

that "Listening is the willingness to change."

If I'm not willing to change based on what you're telling me,

I'm not really listening, I've already made up my mind,

decided how I feel and what I think,

and I will just let you talk at me, and then I will respond.

But improvisers listen with every part of their being

because we're present in that moment.

I'm there with you as you're speaking to me.

I'm willing, I don't have to change, but I'm willing to change.

Improv is a collaborative art form,

and collaboration means taking yourself out of the equation.

Getting that ego,

about what you believe and what you think, out of the way,

so that instead of it being your idea and my idea,

it becomes the first idea,

and the second idea,

and the third idea.

We're just going to listen and react and change.

The next step

is probably the most agreed upon rule of all of improvisation,

across all schools of thought,

is to "Say yes."

So, we'll do a fun little demonstration

because that's way more fun than me talking about it.

I need you to say: "Yes" for me,

on the count of three: one, two, three...

(Audience) Yes.

Good, with feeling: one, two, three...

(Audience) Yes!

So now, I'm going to ask you some questions,

and I want you to just say "yes" to those questions,

and we'll see what happens, okay?

Let's just go with me here, trust me, trust me.

(Laughter)

Do you want to tell a story with me?

(Audience) Yes.

Is this story about a knight?

(Audience) Yes.

Is this knight wearing shining armor?

(Audience) Yes.

Is he going to save a damsel?

(Audience) Yes.

Is she being held by a dragon?

(Audience) Yes.

Is it breathing fire?

(Audience) Yes.

Does he save her with courage?

(Audience) Yes.

Do they live happily ever after?

(Audience) Yes.

Isn't that great? Nice work, that was really good.

(Applause) We did that!

We just did that!

Alright, let's do it again, and this time I want you to say "No."

Everybody just say, "No" to what I'm about to say.

You ready?

(Audience) No.

Yeah, good. Thank you.

(Laughter)

Do you want to tell a story with me?

(Audience) No.

(Laughter)

I'll just go, alright.

(Laughter)

Now, that incredibly elaborate demonstration we just did

proves one simple point about improvisation;

is that a series of yeses will take us somewhere.

A series of noes doesn't even get started,

doesn't go anywhere.

We all just sit there going "no, no, no."

And the saddest part is that you can have ten thousand yeses in a row,

and it just takes one no

to stop it all

and ruin it.

So "Say yes."

The next step is sort of in conjunction with this one,

and that is to "Say and."

Yes-men are great, we've probably all met them,

and they make you feel good about what you're doing.

All of you let me tell a story by saying "Yes."

Thank you for that.

But And-men are the people we really want to work with.

The people that say "Yes" to our idea,

"and" give us something else.

And then what happens is you bring a brick,

and I bring a brick,

then someone else brings a brick,

and we pile them on top of each other

until we've built something that none of us could've built on our own.

And that's what saying "And" is all about.

"Yes, and", not "Yes, but".

Because "but" is a contradiction,

whereas "and" is some sort of connection.

So say "Yes, and", and you're on your way

to working with people and creating something.

This step's a little weird.

Just read that for a second, think about it:

"Play the Game."

You're like, "Yeah Dave, maybe in improv but not in life, okay? Get over it."

(Laughter)

Let me define what I mean by "Game" here.

What I mean by "Game" is anything that has rules to it,

I consider a game.

So Monopoly? That's a game.

Filling out a job application?

To me? That's a game.

There are rules that I am following,

and what rules do

is they free us up to improvise.

By giving ourselves these constrictions,

restr...con...cons... you know what I'm saying

(Laughter)

that guide our impulses,

it funnels our creative process into some kind of product.

The process of improvisation and those rules

help us create something.

Like for instance, this presentation I'm doing right now.

I've got these slides that I have to use,

so that's one rule;

I've got these slides in order.

I have to do something called "The Way of Improvisation",

because that's what I told you I would do.

You've read my description, so I have to follow those rules,

and I have to speak to you.

Those are the rules I'm following,

and within that, I'm free to improvise.

And it's great, I tell you, man.

It feels good up here. You guys look so good.

(Laughter)

Just made that up.

(Laughter)

So, "Play the Game."

That's what lets us improvise.

And the last rule --

sounds kind of ridiculous that I actually have to make this a rule,

but I do, because otherwise people don't do it --

and that is to "Relax and have fun."

You'd be surprised how many times I tell someone

"Just get up there and play and fail...

...and dude just screw it up,"

and they go...(Inhales)... and they tense up,

and "I have to do this right."

"I have to fail right. Dave's watching me."

(Laughter)

And I'm like, okay, just relax man, it's cool.

But relaxing and having fun, if we're doing that,

if we wake up every morning, and we just take a deep breath (Inhales)

and say, "Life, there's these rules in life that I'm going to follow.

I have to work, I have to tell my girlfriend that I love her.

I'm going to follow these rules, but I'm going to be relaxed about it."

It's a rule, trust me.

(Laughter)

"I'm going to relax, and I'm going to follow these rules,

and I'm going to end up..."

If you're doing that, you're going to end up playing.

And you're going to end up letting yourself fail,

and you'll end up listening to people better

because you're relaxed.

You will end up saying "yes,"

you will end up saying "and" to things,

and you're going to end up playing these fun games

and having a much more enjoyable life.

Just by relaxing into it,

and just playing,

and having fun.

So, thank you very much everyone.

I'm Dave Morris, and that is "The Way of Improvisation."

(Applause)