After hosting an improv workshop recently, I'm making an addition to my blog post titled, "Just Say, 'No' - Protecting Our Time'" Here it is...
Say, "Yes!" Say it boldly, even when you don't know where it will take you.
The first rule of improv is to always say,"Yes," which means agree with whatever your partner has created and avoid saying anything that will shut the scene down. It's not just "Yes," ...it's "Yes, and." You have to add something - to contribute so the scene keeps building. This state of mind also makes for an interesting and full life. It keeps us open to new ideas and moves us forward.
When we resist the twists and turns, we loose our energy, get stuck and stop growing. If you hear yourself say, "That'll NEVER work," or "I can't do THAT," consider responding with a, "WHY NOT?" Our fear is often telling us just the direction to go - toward it.
Knowing when to say "No" and when to say "Yes," is easier if we're honest with ourselves and can tolerate some discomfort. We have a choice to avoid activities that sap our energy and distract us from our passions, abilities and goals. We also have a choice to welcome ideas and opportunities that energize us. Things won't always turn out as we hope. So what. We'll learn that we're human (again), refine our choices and move on. It takes a lot of bad ideas to come up with a few brilliant ones.
There are no mistakes in improv. I love that.