How does a “silly verbal tennis match” become a profound spiritual practice? Inspired by the intro “Clanging” game they played on the immediately previous Monster Baby episode #103, Ted and Lisa invited the game’s creators, Dion Flynn and Josh Radnor, to come on the podcast themselves—and they accepted! For context: Dion Flynn is a writer, [more…]
Monster Baby #103 You Contain Multitudes (Considering Identity)
Who are you? Answering that question well may require more angles than we usually think of. After starting with a delightful new game (“Clanging”, introduced by Dion Flynn and Josh Radnor) (2:25), Ted and Lisa consider some of the primary lessons about identity from the world of mindfulness, including the Buddhist notion of non-self (14:06). [more…]
Monster Baby #97 Inner Voices (a conversation with Kat Koppett)
Making friends with inner voices can be fun—and healing. For Monster Baby episode #97, Ted and Lisa are joined by fellow Applied Improvisor Kat Koppett to discuss (and play!) her mindfulness-and-improv-blending exercise, “Inside Out.” Lisa starts by asking about Kat’s inspiration for exploring mindfulness (2:12) and about how mindfulness has affected her life so far [more…]
Monster Baby #94 Your Story, Well Told: A Conversation with Corey Rosen, Part Two
You’ve got great stories to tell—want some tips for sharing ‘em? In part two of his conversation with Lisa and Ted, improvisor, storyteller and author Corey Rosen dives deeper into the craft and skill of telling great stories. Corey starts by noting how stories change over time (1:37) which leads into Ted’s sharing a story [more…]
Monster Baby #93 Your Story, Well-Told: A Conversation with Corey Rosen, Part One
What’s more compelling than a well-told story? For Monster Baby episode, #93, Ted and Lisa join improvisor, storyteller, and recently published author Corey Rosen for Part One of a super-fun conversation exploring the many facets of his new book, Your Story, Well-Told. The episode kicks off with some musings on the old camp favorite “rest [more…]
Monster Baby #79 Half-Baked Ideas
That’s the thing about half-baked ideas: they could be gems; they could be duds. In a bit of frivolous departure from their usual deliberations, Ted and Lisa take up the fun task of considering a few half-baked ideas for coronavirus-inspired potential new products. Ted kicks off the episode with a couple rants and Lisa gives [more…]
Who Goes First on Zoom? Some Playful Tips for Facilitators, Trainers and Teachers
One of my favorite parts of teaching is getting students into dyads for in-depth interaction. Who doesn’t love a good pair share? That said, moving that classroom element into Zoom rooms—or any other online setting—puts a wrench in the works. This post will offer a few tips for how to deal with such wrench-tossing. It’ll [more…]
Monster Baby #51 Insights On- and Off-Stage: A Conversation with Joe Bill, Part 2
The conversation with Joe Bill goes wider and deeper. When legendary improvisor Joe Bill arrived in San Francisco to teach and perform, Ted and Lisa seized the opportunity and wrangled up a whirring, stirring conversation about improv, psychology, surviving childhood—and a whole lot more. Listen in for Part 2 of their Monster Baby cup of [more…]
Monster Baby #50 A Buddhist Atheist: A Conversation with Joe Bill, Part 1
Joe Bill’s an improv luminary with a brilliant mind that careens joyfully between gutter-level explicitness and spiritual truth—oh wait, are they different? When Joe came to San Francisco to teach and perform, Ted and Lisa cranked up the podcast for a two-part conversation that runs the gamut. Part 1 of the conversation starts with the [more…]
Barrett the Barber, or the Value of Clearing Stuff Out
Confusion can be funny. And even more so when it amplifies an insight. At a recent mindfulness teacher training in York, England, my colleague Gillian and I were sharing in pairs after having just come out of 12 hours of silence. Gill’s a lovely woman, a bright-eyed Mom with another boy-to-be kicking in her belly. [more…]
