{"product_id":"improv-wisdom-isbn-9781400081882","title":"Improv Wisdom","description":"\u003cb\u003eIn an irresistible invitation to lighten up, look around, and live an unscripted   life, a master of the art of improvisation explains how to adopt the attitudes and   techniques used by generations of musicians and actors.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Let’s face it: Life is something   we all make up as we go along. No matter how carefully we formulate a “script,” it   is bound to change when we interact with people with scripts of their own. \u003ci\u003eImprov   Wisdom\u003c\/i\u003e shows how to apply the maxims of improvisational theater to real-life challenges—whether   it’s dealing with a demanding boss, a tired child, or one of life’s never-ending   surprises. Patricia Madson distills thirty years of experience into thirteen simple   strategies, including “Say Yes,” “Start Anywhere,” “Face the Facts,” and “Make Mistakes,   Please,” helping readers to loosen up, think on their feet, and take on everything   life has to offer with skill, chutzpah, and a sense of humor.“A marvelous guide to freedom and delight. Improv has become a wisdom tradition of its own and Patricia shows how its lessons can bring out the best in us.” —John Tarrant, author of \u003ci\u003eBring Me the Rhinoceros\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Patricia Ryan Madson is one of Stanford’s truly inspired teachers; she has changed the lives of thousands of students over the past twenty-eight years. In her smiling book, \u003ci\u003eImprov Wisdom\u003c\/i\u003e, she reminds us that being alive is like riding a bicycle—we always feel a little off-balance and insecure, but ‘in the act of balancing we come alive.’ She makes you want to get up and do something—try it out, make mistakes, laugh, play, and try it again.” —Charles Junkerman, Associate Provost and Dean of Continuing Studies, Stanford University\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Reading even just a few pages of Patricia Madson’s book might change your life forever. That’s what has happened to me. These pages are chock-full of wisdom, clarity, and helpful techniques on enhancing spontaneity in everyday life. Read this book—you will be glad and so will everyone else in your life.” —Nina Wise, author of \u003ci\u003eA Big New Free Happy Unusual Life \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I have witnessed Patricia Madson’s magic touch in both her classes and her performances. Her students often describe her as a ‘goddess,’ but that may be an understatement. I rejoice that her wisdom is now available to new audiences.” —Philip G. Zimbardo, author of \u003ci\u003ePsychology and Life \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eShyness\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The premise of Patricia Madson’s book is astonishing: to practice the basic rules of improvisational theater is to walk a path toward a spiritually satisfying life. Her underlying claim is simple and sound: if you are willing to be completely present, making full use of whatever happens, you will find goodness in any situation. This is a lucid, wise, and free-spirited book.” —Norman Fischer, founder and teacher of the Everyday Zen Foundation\u003cb\u003ePatricia Ryan Madson\u003c\/b\u003e is a professor emerita at Stanford University, where she began teaching in 1977. She founded the Stanford Improvisors in 1991, and as head of the undergraduate   acting program, she won the university’s highest teaching prize, the Lloyd W. Dinkelspiel   Award for outstanding contribution to undergraduate education. She also teaches at   the Esalen Institute and for Stanford’s Continuing Studies. Patricia lives with her   husband, Ronald Madson, and their Himalayan cat, Buddha, in El Granada, California,   where they direct the California Center for Constructive Living.\u003cb\u003e[ the first maxim ]:say yes\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e. . . yes I said yes I will Yes. —James Joyce, \u003ci\u003eUlysses\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is going to sound crazy. Say yes to everything. Accept all  offers. Go along with the plan. Support someone else's dream. Say  \"yes\"; \"right\"; \"sure\"; \"I will\"; \"okay\"; \"of course\"; \"YES!\"  Cultivate all the ways you can imagine to express affirmation. When  the answer to all questions is yes, you enter a new world, a world of  action, possibility, and adventure. Molly Bloom's famous line from  Ulysses draws us into her ecstasy. Humans long to connect. Yes glues  us together. Yes starts the juices rolling. Yes gets us into heaven  and also into trouble. Trouble is not so bad when we are in it  together, actually.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe world of yes may be the single most powerful secret of  improvising. It allows players who have no history with one another  to create a scene effortlessly, telepathically. Safety lies in  knowing your partner will go along with whatever idea you present.  Life is too short to argue over which movie to see. Seize the first  idea and go with it. Don't confuse this with being a \"yes-man,\"  implying mindless pandering. Saying yes is an act of courage and  optimism; it allows you to share control. It is a way to make your  partner happy. Yes expands your world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGertrude, one of my adult students and a mother of three small  children, reported a lively adventure based on her application of  this maxim. \"Friday, my eight-year-old, Samantha, burst into the  kitchen with a gleam in her eyes. 'Mommy, Mommy, there's a monster in  the closet!' she shrieked. Normally, I would have thought my best  reply to be a reality check for her. I would have said something  like: 'No, dear, there is no monster in the closet. It's just your  imagination, sweetie.' Instead, considering the rule of yes, I turned  from the dishes I was washing and said: 'There is? Wow, let's go  see!' I accompanied her to the closet, where we had a dynamic  encounter with the monster, capturing it and squealing with delight  as we tickled it into disappearing. It was a magical shared  adventure. I would never have thought of joining Samantha's fantasy  before considering the rule of yes! Thanks, improv.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt is undoubtedly an exaggeration to suggest that we can say yes to  everything that comes up, but we can all say yes to more than we  normally do. Once you become aware that you can, you will see how  often we use the technique of blocking in personal relationships  simply out of habit. Turning this around can bring positive and  unexpected results.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI can remember the day nearly forty years ago when I made a conscious  decision to adopt the yes rule. I was attending a tai chi workshop,  and a woman whom I hardly knew asked if I could give her a ride home.  I normally shy away from encounters with strangers, much preferring  silence over casual social exchange. My heart sinks if I find myself  with a chatty airplane seat-mate who wants to talk for the entire  flight. I couldn't find a good reason to say no, so I said yes. She  climbed into my car, and I pulled the old Chevy onto the freeway. As  we searched politely for areas of common interest, the conversation  turned to our tai chi experience and our physical well-being. I  learned that she, too, had some problems with lower back pain. We  commiserated, and she offered the name of a wise and skillful  acupuncturist who had helped her considerably. As we parted, she  wrote down the name and phone number of the healer and handed it to  me while thanking me for the ride. What struck me at that moment was  my wrongheadedness. I had thought that I was doing her a favor in  giving her a ride, when it seemed (and here we get into some  metaphysical difficulty with language) reality (the universe? my  guardian angel?) was actually offering me some help. The  acupuncturist turned out to be a godsend. I would not have found him  without the connection with the woman I drove home. \"Always say yes  if someone asks for help and you can give it,\" I vowed. I admit a  selfish motive in adopting this rule at that time, but the maxim has  become a great teacher. Who benefits as we say yes to life? Notice.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSaying yes (and following through with support) prevents you from  committing a cardinal sin—blocking. Blocking comes in many forms; it  is a way of trying to control the situation instead of accepting it.  We block when we say no, when we have a better idea, when we change  the subject, when we correct the speaker, when we fail to listen, or  when we simply ignore the situation. The critic in us wakes up and  runs the show. Saying no is the most common way we attempt to control  the future. For many of us the habit is so ingrained that we don't  notice we are doing it. We are not only experienced at blocking  others, we commonly block ourselves. \"I'm not good at brush painting,  so why bother? Whatever made me think I could do art?\" \"I'll never be  the cook that Mom was, so I might as well order take-out.\" Blocking  is often cleverly disguised as the critical or academic perspective.  Finding fault is its hallmark. A sophisticated critic may even appear  to be agreeing by offering the \"yes but\" response. Try substituting  \"yes and\" for \"yes but\"—this will get the ball rolling.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe spirit of improvising is embodied in the notion of \"yes and.\"  Agreement begins the process; what comes next is to add something or  develop the offer in a positive direction. Avoiding this next step is  a form of blocking. I once taught a student who was scared to add  anything to a scene unless he was instructed to do so. I think he was  afraid of making a mistake. If Martha walked over to him on stage and  proffered an imaginary ice-cream cone, Sheldon would accept the cone  and just stand there, holding it. He appeared positive, seemed to be  saying yes to the offer. But nothing else happened. Sheldon just  stood there, blankly, until Martha advanced the scene by saying: \"The  elephants are coming right after these clowns.\" Sheldon's  unwillingness to add something to the story became a kind of  aggression. Players learn that sharing the control of the story is  the only way to really have a good time. The rule of \"yes and\" can be  used in relationships. Build upon someone else's dream. And when you  are meeting new people, it is helpful to volunteer information about  yourself, your interests, hobbies, dreams. This can open a door to  friendship.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003etry this:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSupport someone else's dreams. Pick a person (your spouse, child,  boss), and, for a week, agree with all of her ideas. Find something  right about everything he says or does. Look for every opportunity to  offer support. Consider her convenience and time preferences ahead of  your own. Give him the spotlight. Notice the results.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs we practice this affirmative response to life, positive things can  happen. Kathleen Norris, in Amazing Grace, points out the connection  between the impulse to say yes and our capacity for faith. \"An alert  human infant, at about one month of age, begins to build a  vocabulary, making sense of the chaos of sound that bombards the  senses. . . . Eventually the rudiments of words come; often 'Mama,'  'Dada,' 'Me,' and the all-purpose 'No!' An unqualified 'Yes' is a  harder sell, to both children and adults. To say 'yes' is to make a  leap of faith, to risk oneself in a new and often scary relationship.  Not being quite sure of what we are doing or where it will lead us,  we try on assent, we commit ourselves to affirmation. With luck, we  find our efforts are rewarded. The vocabulary of faith begins.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI can't remember a time in history when the need for optimism and  affirmation has been greater. In an article that examined how  prevailing film sensibilities portrayed the question of individuality  on screen in the last century, \u003ci\u003eSan Francisco Chronicle\u003c\/i\u003e critic Mick  LaSalle made this shocking claim: \u003cbr\u003e\"American movies [2004] are more  cynical and despairing than before. Their implicit message: people  are garbage and the world is terrifying.\"Negative images surround  us. Unimaginable horrors are now part of our collective unconscious.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith the rule of yes, we call upon our capacity to envision, to  create new and positive images. This yes invites us to find out what  is right about the situation, what is good about the offer, what is  worthy in the proposal. Exercising the yes muscle builds optimism.  However, we sensibly understand that the practice of affirmation is  not a guarantee of outcomes. Saying yes to life will not banish  problems or promise eternal success. A positive perspective is a  constructive one, however, and it is easier on those around us.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003etry this:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor one day say yes to everything that's offered. Set your own  preferences aside. Notice the results. See how often it may not be  convenient or easy to do this.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eObviously, use common sense in executing this rule. If you are a  diabetic and are offered a big piece of pie, you'll need to find a  way to protect your health. Perhaps you can say boldly, \"Yes, I'd  love to have this pie to take home to my son who adores cherries.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eInventing Proverbs\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere is wisdom in all of us. A beloved game that I learned from  Rebecca Stockley, a professional improviser and educator, involves  inventing a new proverb by speaking it one word at a time. This is  done by a group of players who add the next most logical word to what  has gone before. Do this quickly without \"thinking\" of a good idea.  When it is clear that the proverb is finished (and this seems to  happen by a natural consensus), all the players put on a \"knowing,  wise look,\" tap their fingers together in a prayerlike mudra, and  say, \"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes . . . ,\" affirming the wisdom of  whatever sage or nonsense aphorism has been invented by the group. It  is very easy to teach and to play this game, and it often releases a  lot of laughter.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLiz, a graduate student in product design, stayed after class one day  to share a story. She had just returned from being at home with her  family, who were all reeling from the sad news of a cancer diagnosis  for their father. \"Everyone has been so disheartened about this that  I thought we needed a little cheering,\" said Liz. \"Improv was our  tonic. I taught the Proverbs game to the family, and we sat around  the dinner table playing it. We were all actually able to laugh at  the sometimes wise and often crazy sayings that we created together.  We needed this laughter.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Always . . . look . . . before . . . crossing . . . a . . .  chicken.\" Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Try . . . not . . . to . . . laugh . . . when . . . you . . . look .  . . at . . . your . . . waistline.\" Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Women . . . know . . . when . . . the . . . soup . . . is . . .  done.\" Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003etry this:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTeach the Proverbs game to some friends\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eand play it around the dinner table. Enjoy your combined wisdom.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e[ the first maxim ]: say yes\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e•Just say yes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e•Become a \"can-do\" person.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e•Look for the positive spin, for what is right.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e•Agree with those around you.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e•Cultivate yes phrases: \"You bet\"; \"You are right\"; \"I'm with  you\"; \"Good idea\"; etc.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e•Substitute \"Yes and\" for \"Yes but.\" Add something to build  the conversation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e•Exercise the yes muscle. This builds optimism and hope.","brand":"Harmony","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46305356513509,"sku":"NP9781400081882","price":16.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781400081882.jpg?v=1767729898","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/improv-wisdom-isbn-9781400081882","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}