Improvising in flow

Improvisation is about flow.

  • It’s about being in a flow state.
  • And it’s about helping others to be in flow.
  • It’s about creating flow together.

What is all this about flow then?

According to flow researcher and author Stephen Kotler: “Flow is a state of rapt attention where action and awareness merge. Time speeds up or slows down. You feel and perform your best. You are present in the moment without reference to a separate sense of self. In flow you are are totally involved in the here and now, trusting your impulses to navigate the challenge of each moment as it arises.”

Ah, flow.

We spend A LOT of our lives trying to get into this state of total absorption.

it helps that flow releases a cocktail or chemicals in the brain such as serotonin, dopamine, epinephrin and norepinephrine. It’s the ultimate natural high and if it was a street drug, it wouldn’t be legal in any country, anywhere.

So it’s a good job we can get into flow states without needing to call dealer.

Flow is a naturally occurring ability in the human body to mount a heightened response when required. It enables us be in the moment and to fully engage with what’s happening. It’s a survival mechanism triggered by either scarcity – we fight over limited resources or the desire for abundance – we creatively generate resources.

Improvisation hits the sweet spot for both of those because at the start of a scene we lack all the information that we need – we feel scarcity – and yet by listening, noticing and agreeing we can create all the resources we need to generate a new reality with our scene partners.

When it goes well it feels amazing. And when it breaks down the learning is rich and fruitful. You can learn if you’re listening to your partner and trusting them, in touch with your emotions and willing to express yourself just based on how flow-y your experience is.

And improv allows you to get the reps in for whatever you need to learn.

In this sense improvisation is a powerful tool for self guided learning and the fruit of it is how much flow you experience, and how much flow do you create for your scene partners.

It’s a way of connecting feelings and ideas to create momentum. See the post on momentum matters most.

I learned this idea that improv is about momentum from Kelly Leonard at Second City, and I find it really helpful in the classroom, on stage and in everyday life.

Photo by Matt Hardy on Unsplash

A few more ideas

Yes, another newsletter.

But you won’t want to miss this one.

Our monthly newsletter is all about a joyful and mindful way of improvising.

Each month has a few ideas and details of what’s on.