Positivity in Improv

The Heart of Improv, Part IV

This article is part of a series about improv. Start at the beginning here

Positive Vibes

Improv and improvisers tend to be very positive, but somehow not in a bypassy way that makes you feel like you have to keep quiet if you’re suffering.

In fact I would say that very experienced improvisers are some of the most comfortable people when it comes to holding, naming, and relating to difficult emotions and shadow material, and yet in their general vibe, they’re just so radiantly positive.

This makes sense experientially, as when you develop ease in the unknown, learning to trust that whatever pops in unexpectedly will turn out to be a good thing (this is what improv teaches you, verifiably, over time), then what do you have to fear of negative emotion or any other previously dreaded element of human interaction?

Improvisers are fearless, because improv teaches you to be so. And when you’re not afraid of life, there’s nothing stopping you from being what you are by nature, which is positive, playful, humorous, deep, original, poignant, connected, emotionally available, eager, excited, brilliant, and goofy.

Practices of Positivity

I think we can apply so much from improv, elsewhere.

For example, the standard practice for a good team dynamic is to only verbalize positive things when reflecting on a show or practice, using statements like “I had fun on stage when this happened” and “something you did that was wonderful was this”. Not necessarily avoiding bad things, but choosing to talk about the things that were delightful, fun, worth lingering on and celebrating.

Different from praise, different from evaluative statements, like “you’re so good” or “you’re getting better”, this isn’t evaluation, just pure information about what we personally experienced as fun.

I was taught and tell my students now that it is strictly important that no one critique each other, gives notes, even ones that seem like compliments.

This rule is based on experience & wisdom of improv elders all around the world. Improvisers in a team are peers with total equality of role and we must be united in positivity and equal valuation of every player, and not allow even the tiniest crack for division or our team will be torn asunder.

Because humans are complicated and we have to ride together or we'll disintegrate our unity through our trauma and power dynamics and and and.

I think the existence of this practice and how well it works, evidently, is something worth paying attention to. I’m sure this could be applied elsewhere!

Read the next post in this Improv series here. Start from the beginning here.

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Thumbnail image respectfully borrowed from The Wonderful Things You Will Be, by Emily Winfield Martin.