Family Portraits, an improv group exercises
As described by Lisa Bany. Oh, the uses for Family Portraits! I use this for team building, for brain yoga, for non-verbal communication, for trusting your gut and embracing imperfection, for character and scene idea development, and for performances! Divide the group in half. Groups gather together as if they’re having a family picture taken, perhaps with some levels, some folks standing behind others who are sitting, etc. If…
Recovering from Perfectionism and Learning to Fall Forward
“Stop trying to be so perfect.” That was the first piece of feedback I received in improv class, and it hit me deep in my soul. I remember nodding while I replied to my teacher, “That seems like a timely piece of life advice.” Recovering from perfectionism has been a forefront theme in my life since that moment. I believe the origins stem from an achievement focused childhood, like “perfect…
Optimizing Empathy: Being empathic doesn’t require giving someone advice to solve their problem.
I was sitting on my therapist’s couch, gazing through the partially opened blinds of his office’s floor to ceiling window, while he talked me through a simple gym couple scenario. “Have you ever seen that couple at the gym, where the guy is ridiculing his girlfriend about how her stomach isn’t flat enough or her butt is too small, and she works that much harder during their workout trying to…
Improv is just fun!
Many have asked the question: why should we learn improv? And many, including myself, have answered with things like it’s good for education, useful in traveling, it’s therapeutic, etc. All of those reasons are true and fine, but there can be a much simpler, yet no less valid, answer as well. Improv is fun! Many people seem to be under the impression that in order to do something, one must…
Improv in Schools – Improv for Students
There are so many articles and studies about how teachers can use improv in the classroom to help their students, but there aren’t many discussions on how students can use improv training to help further their own education. Improv can be used in everyday class life ranging from elementary school, all the way up to university. There are many types of class activities and projects that appear frequently throughout all…
The Importance Of A Safe Group Space For Healing
Being social is a big part of being human. Throughout time, people around the world have seemed to inherently understand the importance of belonging to a community. Long ago, community was necessary for safety and survival, however now in modern society, community is more important for emotional survival. Research is showing that meaningful social interaction can improve health, just like attending individual therapy, eating a good diet, or exercising. Research…