improvisational comedy is a style in which every single joke is made up on the spot , sometimes with suggestions from the audience . The only saving grace is that " improv " as it ' s called is most often done as a group , so at least you ' re not alone .
Of course , for most people , that ' s like saying " I know you ' re drowning , but there ' s good news - five other people are drowning too !" Hardly comforting is it ?
If there was ever a place where the " stakes " have been raised and fear has the opportunity to create blocks - it ' s on an improv stage .
But hold up true believer ! There ' s another way to look at this .
As I said previously , creative blocks occur when the apparent importance of a project begins to increase , generating fear . HOWEVER , you don ' t suddenly stop being able to communicate .
If you ' re a writer , you don ' t suddenly lose the ability to write in your chosen language .
If you ' re a speaker , you don ' t suddenly become mute .
Fear derails your thought process , causing you to THINK you can ' t write , speak , draw or do the Macarena . ( In the case of that last one , I ' m willing to give fear a pass .)
An exercise I give to my clients when they ' re experiencing writer ' s block is to write about it . I know it sounds simplistic , even counterintuitive - but that ' s precisely why it works . Write about how writer ' s block FEELS . Explore the fear and the trepidation you ' re experiencing . Talk about the frustration . Describe the blank page in as much detail as you can .
You ' d be amazed at what happens when you do this . Creative juices once again begin to flow , and the fear is pushed aside . Within a very short time , you ' re ready to tackle your creative project , whatever it may be .
Dear reader , let me leave you with a final point , one that just may change the way you think . Of course , it may cause you to question my sanity , but ... I think we ' re far beyond that point .
Improvisational comedy may seem scary , but ... you engage in improvisation every single day . Whether or not it qualifies as comedy is open for debate , but the fact is , everyday you speak and act without the benefit of a script , a plot , a director or even a proper hair and makeup team .
Life is the ultimate improvisation , and you ' re turning in an award winning performance .
Screw fear , and to hell with creative blocks … it ' s time for your close-up .
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Mackenzie Clench is an author , digital essayist , creative instigator , podcaster , agent provocateur and silhouette model for Men-at-Work signs . He ' s also the CEO , Scribbler and Fuss Maker in Chief of Mackenzie Clench Creative , helping entrepreneur-shaped humans refine their messaging to draw a through-line from the heart of their business to the heart of the clients .
Mackenzie Clench
Mackenzie regularly kicks over the apple cart of " that ' s-the-way-it ' s-alwaysbeen-done " and gives the advertising intelligentsia aneurysms on a nearly daily basis . He believes that 1 + 1 = 3 , women are the future and that the coolest dinosaur is the thesaurus . He ' s currently on a mission to show that every single human-shaped human on this big blue marble is a walking , talking , latte-sipping engine of creation . He does not often write bios in the third-person , but will do so if asked nicely . Cookies help as well . mackenzieclench . com � � �
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