You may have heard too. Just as with mindfulness outside the meditation hall, lots of folks have caught on to the transformative power of improvisation in arenas outside the theater. Business, health care, education, disaster relief, even the military: everyone needs nimble thinkers and flexible collaborators in this time of uncertainty. Everyone sees the value of focused presence.
I just got back from an amazing Austin, Texas conference of the Applied Improvisation Network (AIN), a group of professionals both feeding and riding this growing wave of interest. Stitched between the wake-up siren of breakfast tacos, the mid-day pull of gourmet food trucks, and the drifting evening scents of barbecue autentico, over 200 of us gathered to consider the field. How can we refine and translate our message? Where else in society can we contribute? How can we help save the world?
A few years back, knowing that any intro conversation about the topic almost always generates the question “What is applied improvisation?”, I came up with this definition brainstormer. Fresh from this year’s conference inspiration—and fuelled further by the insights of friend and colleague, Rebecca Stockley—I’ve refined the original list and added a bit of color. Hopefully you’ll find it helpful and telling. Or, at minimum, easy on the eyes.
What is Applied Improvisation? Form your own answer by using one word or phrase from each column and building ‘what comes next.’ And let me know if you come up with any words or phrases to add in!
If you’d like a larger, clearer pdf version of the Definition Generator, just click on the following link: Applied Improv Definition Generator 11.11.14. Enjoy!
Ted DesMaisons is the founder and principal of Anima Learning, a collaborative consultancy that honors and feeds the spark of curiosity in leaders, educators, and individuals. He also serves as the US Coordinator for the UK-based Mindfulness in Schools Project.
