Friday Night Improv: Part One - This is Good Because...

It's friday! And what better day to practice some solo improvisation?

This is the start of a weekly series where I post a solo exercise you can do to keep those mental muscles whirring and expand your creative consciousness just in time for the weekend. Some you might be able to do at your desk, others might be physical and require more space. All are guaranteed to raise stares from your co-workers should you attempt to plumb the depths of your psyche in the office. I will put some tips in as well, just ideas about how I think you can get the best out of each exercise. You might want to try the exercise a few times then read the tips to see if they give you a new angle on it.

Please add any feedback you might have in the comments. Sharing your creative process and learning from other people's processes has always been interesting to me. What is hard for you, what is easy for you? Any variations you might know would be interesting as well.

Without further ado: Exercise 1 - This is Good Because

Grab something you can use to time 60 seconds, grab another item. Then spend 60 seconds saying excitedly saying out loud why this object is good, using the formula X is good because...

For example, I just grabbed the mug in front of me.

"A mug is good because you can look inside it and read your future, a mug is good because you can balance it on your head to improve your balance, a mug is good because it's red and that's my favourite colour, a mug is good because I can shout into it and it sounds funny, a mug is good because I can smash it into pieces to show my anger..."

The point is to keep talking and not worry about whether the uses you are saying make sense, and to keep saying 'yes and' to whatever you notice. Red isn't my favourite colour, I just said the first thing I could think of.

Do this a few times with the objects you have lying around.

Tips: Pick up the object and move it around, interact with it and use that to trigger off ideas. Don't stop talking, keep saying 'this is good because...' and let your subconscious fill in the rest. Sniff it, stick it in your armpit, hold it upside down and look at it through one eye. Imagine you are the most excited kid in school showing off this cool new toy.

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