Sample from book...

I am writing a book on bringinging the skills of improv into your life, tentatively called

IMPROVISE YOUR LIFE: A How-To Manual for Humans

A part of the book includes exercises in Life-Prov. What follows is an excerpt:

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MIRROR, MIRROR
Set an egg timer for 10 minutes and look at yourself in a mirror until the timer goes off. Notice your thoughts. Journal after if you feel so inspired.

ZEN
Open all the windows and doors fully in a room and stand in the middle, arms outstretched and just BREATHE.

DONE
Cross something off your ‘to do’ list today by merely doing it.

EXTREME GENEROSITY
Leave a very large tip for the next good service you get. Be more generous than necessary.

OM
Meditate. Bring out that old egg timer again. And sit and meditate for 5 minutes. Deep breathe and only breathe. Push any thoughts that pop up out of your head and focus on your breath. Extend by one minute every time you do it.

UNDERWATER BASKETWEAVING
Today, sign up for a class in something you know nothing about. Japanese? Tai Kwon Do? Painting with pastels? Check your local listings. They’re often cheap or free!

I’M BUSY
Schedule a day of PURE PLAY. Do no work or anything that could at all be conceived as work. Only play! Is it a walk? A massage? Swinging? Drawing? You get to say.

copyright 2009 K. Schultz

on being....

One of the most important lessons improv has to offer is how to just be.

In scenework, I am constantly encouraging my students to BE that person, don't act it, BE it! I want them to slow down and just BE in that location, just be with that person and speak and act from that place. Not easy. We get scared, defensive. Our brain likes to get in the way. Our brain wants to work. What if we didn't need to do any work?


Franz Kafka wrote on being:

You need not do anything; you need not leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. You don't even need to wait; just become still, quiet and solitary, and the world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked. It has no choice.

I love it when the world offers itself to me unmasked. Onstage and off.

Thanks Franz. Rock on.

Are you where you want to be?

I was just working with a company in Florida on the idea of "Authentic Leadership". We worked on the concepts of being open and present, engaging relationships through storytelling and living in courage. It was a great workshop: a reminder to bring the WHOLE PERSON to the job. THAT's when we are successful, happy and ultimately fulfulled.

Some comments from the group:

"Improvisation reinforces how we should operate in the now and not be limited by prior experiences and prejudices"

"Just because something seems impossible, be open to it anyway. It doesn't mean it can't be done"

"Improv reminded me of where I want to be"


Are you bringing your whole person?

Want another podcast?We'll you're in luck!

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I spoke with Eileen Lichtenstein of THE BALANCE AND POWER NETWORK

about improv as a tool for living a fuller life.

LISTEN to it now at

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/eileen-lichtenstein(air date 4/8/09)