Once you've done improv for a decent amount of time, you begin to see improv lessons everywhere. I've decided to begin sharing some of those lessons I see in my daily life here. So...here's the first:
My older son, Nathan, is almost 4 years old. Like any little kid, he has his moments but, for the most part, he's a positive guy. The improv lessons I learned from Nathan are acceptance and heightening. Nathan is a master-level accepter in many areas. A song will come on the car stereo, and I say that I like it, and he'll respond with, "It's my favorite!" I'll tell him I'm making him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch, and he'll reply with, "I love peanut butter and jelly! It's my favorite!" It doesn't matter what it is, Nathan will exclaim that he loves it and it's his favorite. It's such a great reminder for me to be positive in my daily life, but for improv purposes, it's a simple reminder to say 'yes' and escalate. Not only do I like it, but it's my favorite - I don't just accept, I over-accept, and now we have more places to go with the offer.
Thanks, Nathan, you're my favorite! (Along with your little brother and mommy. )
