I have a confession to make: I am a planner. Not a planner in the usual sense of the word, but a PLANNER in the extreme, worthy of all CAPS. I feel my best when I carefully orchestrate my day, create my list of to do’s, and even determine what I’ll eat at every meal and snack. I have always considered planning a virtue, and something that contributes to people’s success.
Then I met Patricia Ryan Madson. She is the author of Improv Wisdom: Don’t Prepare, Just Show Up, and her perspective has helped me balance my planning tendencies with a little more improvisation. (At least she has helped me think about this. Change is coming slowly!) As Ms. Madson points out, “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 who have scripts of their own.” Ms Madson agrees that planning is good, but the best laid plans—even the backup ones—don’t always work out. She adds that improvisation doesn’t negate planning but complements it. Improv can help us develop a mindset and skills that are empowering even when we lose control.
Wellness Wednesday on August 11sth
I am delighted that Ms. Madson will be joining us for our August 11th Wellness Wednesday for an unscripted interview! She will help us learn how attitudes and techniques used by generations of musicians and artists can help us lighten up, think on our feet, and take on everything life has to offer with skill, chutzpah, and a sense of humor.
You will walk away with practical experiments to harness an improv mindset in your day-to-day life.
This program is free but you need to register to attend (or receive the recording). Special thanks to community members Jenny May and Joan Lasselle for sponsoring this event.