Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Improv

Drink more coffee, do stupid things faster with more energy. I just stumbled across this sign this morning, and I feel like it really relates to me trying to spill all of my thoughts onto this blog before my 3pm class, which is in twenty minutes. Let us just take advantage of the time we have.

Anyway, I am reading the book Blink by Malcolm Gladwell- yes, I am a little late I know but better late than never. He talks about improv in one of his sections, and how improve only works succesffully when accepting every motion. A person needs to run with whatever thought, idea and question their partner is throwing at them, every aspect of whatever is coming your way. If not, frustration will settle in and the scene will quickly come to a halt.

I feel like this directly relates to studying abroad. When traveling, there are so many options, so many turns you can make, just as a improv scene could go in many different directions. One is exposed to countless opportunities, and getting lost and overwhelmed seems the norm. Not to reference Yes Man, which is essentially what I am getting at in the most extereme of ways, living this experience like an actor or actress performing improv could open your eyes to something new.

Some may seem this as fake, and relate it to when a young girl agrees with whatever a boy is saying. "Do you like to fish?" "Yes!" "Me too. Do you like horror films?"... This is not what I am talking about. Simply staying open to new ideas, thoughts, experiences, accepting others interests and trying out new things, getting out of my comfort zone, even within a foreign city, has really opened my eyes. It also can really help a person get to know themselves better (observing how you react to situations you normally would not be in).

Yesterday, I found my favorite Italian word, sorriso, and now I have found my new favorite motto: Live like improv.

I feel like I should have a sign above head blinking in bright green lights: I have discovered the endless 2 euro cup of coffee.

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