Hello world! I'm improv-a-mama!
This bog is where improv and parenting meet.
Most folks I meet can resonate immediately to the idea that life with kids involves improvisation, lots and lots of improvisation.
As a new parent, I discovered that my improv training was core to helping me be in the moment with my child and handle the inevitable frustrations. My little person (LP) was probaby 3 months or so old, when things weren't really getting easier (you know, like people "said" it would). And then I had my "AHA!" moment - how can I use improv in this situation (and by "this situation" I really mean EVERY situation). Not just the broad, general "yeah we're making this parenting thing up" but in specific. What principle, theory, game, activity, etc, etc can help me through this moment, refocus me, be a new tool and yes, even make life more fun, engaged, creative and playful.
Since I started exploring the active use of improv in parenting, I've been meaning to start writing about it...and let's see, she's 23 months now...so after approximately 20 months of procrastination (along with all the usual parenting distractions) - here I am!
Why has it taken so long when technology makes it so easy....one is I was thinking it had to be perfect, edited, grammatical, sensible, etc...pretty much nonimprovised when a blog about improv really needs to embrace improv and the reality of the writer. Which is that I don't have much quiet focused time (and as Amber pointed out, my audience, other parents who are most likely in the same boat, will relate to that aspect of the blog too).
Sometimes I'll look at specific situations with my little person (LP) and how I use improv to engage with her/the situation - to change things, to reframe things (sometimes for her, sometimes for me). Other times I'll go into how I've found a specific skill set or improv game useful and sometimes...well, I'll just see what comes happens when I start to type.
(And got to say a BIG thanks to the whole Un-Scripted ensemble...for many things, especially the encouragment to get this going already...Mandy even wrote the very first post for me!)
Most folks I meet can resonate immediately to the idea that life with kids involves improvisation, lots and lots of improvisation.
As a new parent, I discovered that my improv training was core to helping me be in the moment with my child and handle the inevitable frustrations. My little person (LP) was probaby 3 months or so old, when things weren't really getting easier (you know, like people "said" it would). And then I had my "AHA!" moment - how can I use improv in this situation (and by "this situation" I really mean EVERY situation). Not just the broad, general "yeah we're making this parenting thing up" but in specific. What principle, theory, game, activity, etc, etc can help me through this moment, refocus me, be a new tool and yes, even make life more fun, engaged, creative and playful.
Since I started exploring the active use of improv in parenting, I've been meaning to start writing about it...and let's see, she's 23 months now...so after approximately 20 months of procrastination (along with all the usual parenting distractions) - here I am!
Why has it taken so long when technology makes it so easy....one is I was thinking it had to be perfect, edited, grammatical, sensible, etc...pretty much nonimprovised when a blog about improv really needs to embrace improv and the reality of the writer. Which is that I don't have much quiet focused time (and as Amber pointed out, my audience, other parents who are most likely in the same boat, will relate to that aspect of the blog too).
Sometimes I'll look at specific situations with my little person (LP) and how I use improv to engage with her/the situation - to change things, to reframe things (sometimes for her, sometimes for me). Other times I'll go into how I've found a specific skill set or improv game useful and sometimes...well, I'll just see what comes happens when I start to type.
(And got to say a BIG thanks to the whole Un-Scripted ensemble...for many things, especially the encouragment to get this going already...Mandy even wrote the very first post for me!)
posted by Susan at
2:57 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home