Improv at Work

As I exercised my faculty discount I found myself in a conversation with the clerk checking out my art supplies at FLAX.  He asked me what I taught at Stanford, and when I replied “Improvisation” he cheered up.


“What do you teach in an improv class?” he asked.  


“Improv is where we put people above ideas,” I replied (surprising myself with this slick logo).  “More important than content is relationship.  It’s the class in which we learn that good will and cooperation trumps cleverness. In an improv class we study how to put our ego in the back seat.”


At least these are the values that I emphasize when I teach the fundamentals of improvising.  Intrinsic to the practice of Yes-AND is the notion that my job as a partner is to accept, make sense out of and then add to whatever my partner offers to start a scene.  It does not matter what the offer is. We simply avoid judgment or evaluation during the act of improvising.  (That may come later … ) Knowing that we are on stage (in this life?) together to move a story forward in real time means that I have to develop the part of me that creates constructively with the materials at hand whatever they are.  I don’t have time to stand around and debate if this is a good idea.   It’s my job to make it work.  And what blows me away is how often this strategy succeeds at creating something wonderful. 


Of course, the work place isn’t an improv stage, and there are consequences to decisions.  In the big picture the improv maxim:  “All ideas are equally valid … as starting places” isn’t strictly true.  Some ideas turn out to be better than others.  However, if we use the improv model to explore possibilities to get to those really useful ideas/products/approaches I believe that worlds can open up.  And, a secondary payoff in the workplace is the sense of trust and good will that can develop among colleagues if we all become more likely to accept the ideas of others.  Playing the critic is so yesterday! Wouldn’t you like to be part of a company that puts people above ideas?  I would.


Reposted from Improv At Work


http://www.improvwisdom.com

My desk in El Granada

My stepson, Jason is a professional photographer.  He has just been visiting for a week.  What delight just doing ordinary things together.  He has an unerring eye with a camera.  He took this shot in black and white of my work desk at home.  It seems cheerful and welcoming.  Why is it, I wonder, that I don't spend more time here writing?  Writers will understand this conundrum.  

Here is Jay and his dad trying to capture the Bay Bridge on Thursday.  Sweet.

Maya Stein's YES

In my book, Improv Wisdom, the first maxim is to say YES.  It has implications.  I have rarely read a tribute to yes which says it better than this remarkable poem by Maya Stein.  Please visit her blog.

yes
yes
after a violent rain,
bloody battle on the roof
mud-inked, wind-broken
roots chunked and hazardous
the velocity of the river a cause
for posted signs and nervous dogs
yes
yes
to blisters on shoulders from too much
sun, mouth woolly, limbs limp
as old dandelions yes
to skinned knees and black-bruised
egos, shyness and tongue-tripping yes
yes yes to the slow crawl of indecision
to remorse to hideous mistake
to saccharine and over-salted
to no vacancy and lost chances
yes to the ugly failures in front
of the hometown crowd
to oversized and under-whelmed
to cheats and lies and cowards
yes to the rips in your new silk dress
to torn up and torn down
yes to the conversation
you didn’t want to have
to irrational, irreconcilable, irreversible words
yes to cracked throats and busted ankles and spent light bulbs
and burned batteries and whatever dies after
it has lived
yes
to a broken promise or three or nine hundred
yes to the time it takes to tell the truth
yes to desert and dry spells and lunacy and lost hope
yes to the middle of a blind-white October
yes yes yes
to sharp and scrape and cauterize
to discard and done for
yes to ducking under yes to darkness
to breaking in two
or more pieces
than you can count
yes to the disappointing lunch
to the disappointing summer
to the disappointing marriage
yes to the seesaw fear of stillness and escape
yes to the bad haircut in eighth grade that ruined your chances
yes to the fumbling in the back seat that led
to your bad reputation
yes to beyond repair
to what’s done is done
to a change of heart mid-stream
yes to bad art
to old age
to out of shape and shapeless
yes to where have you been
and why didn’t you call
and how many times do I have to tell you
yes all of it yes
not a moment too soon or too late
this yes, this yes
this ripe and mad and fleshy terror of a thing
this yes will save us
tie our restless shoelaces and stroke
our fevered cheeks and pay off our
inglorious debts
this yes, this yes
this aching starved animal
will bear down until we open ourselves
to its wet mouth and slip our skin
under its teeth and feel its dark heart beating
ruthless against our lungs and let our heaviness fall
like a string of dominoes until we sing
our fragile, damaged beauty
into the waiting arms of the world.

Best intentions . . .

Greetings in the new year.  There is optimism about the possibility presented at the beginning of days.  I am stoked with resolve.  Today I received a weekly post from one of the best poets alive, Maya Stein.  She just kindly gave me permission to share her poem of the week.  It resonated with me and I bet it will with you.

my watercolor of Pomponio Beach, CA 

10-LINE TUESDAY B Y   M A Y A   S T E I N  the drift Sometime last week, after the revelry of the new year had passed, that bright resolve to steer the ship of my life in a freshly purposeful direction was dismantled by sudden doubt, like a flash frost blinding the windshield. I wandered the morning half-awake, wasting good daylight on a section of a tricky crossword, mindless with my meals, stingy with love. I could feel it, momentum draining out of me, trouble troubling the water, and all my proclamations about change and opportunity fell silent as old rocks. The day tumbled on, without visible meaning, until bed, when a sliver of moon rose behind the house. It wasn’t an answer, exactly, but I understood this: A journey calls for sea, not shore.  To meet Maya go to her website and then visit her blog.

Invitation

My task this week following Christmas is to pull together a serious pile to take to the Goodwill, or rather our local Coastside Senior Opportunity Center store.  One of the pleasures of sorting and stacking used books and clothing is to find shards of memorabilia.  Stuffed as a bookmark in a copy of a fading paperback was a 3 x 5 card with this poem handwritten.  I can't discern a date, but the back of the card was used to score some game when Ron and I partnered against our niece Elissa and her brother Ryan.  I wonder what the game was? Here is the poem. 

Invitation

You served breakfast on the beach

broke bread with thousands at a hillside picnic

celebrated with many at the marriage of Cana –

exciting events all of these.

But this morning it’s only me

on an ordinary Monday

requesting the honor of your presence

at my kitchen table

for coffee and conversation.

Comfort comes in knowing

you require neither

feasts nor crowds—

only an invitation.

Joan Rae Mills

      from “St. Anthony’s Messenger”

        a Catholic Magazine 

Madsons Christmas Letter 2011

 The Madson’s Year in Review 2011

I was reasonably sure that the past year was not memorable, with the exception of the journey to India and Bhutan in November, until I sat down with a pencil. “I don’t think we did much to report,” I said aloud.  But then we both got out our trusty iPhones and began skimming the quick pictures starting from last January. We were happily surprised to discover that it had been a year filled with family, warm adventures and lots of happy social times.  And, now dear friends, we foist this laundry list of “doings” on you.

January-March was Stanford women’s basketball.  Most of you know that we are rabid fans and attended nearly ALL the games, following our women all the way to the Final Four in Indianapolis, only to experience the heartbreak of losing to Texas A & M in the semifinals.  In April – I taught a weekend workshop at the Esalen Institute.  Winter quarter I had taught for Continuing Studies:  “Everyday Spontaneity: Improvising our Lives,” a ten week class.  And speaking of improv, I’m happy to report that 2011 was the year that my book, IMPROV WISDOM was published in Japan in March (the same day the Tsunami and earthquake hit. ;-( )  In July the first Chinese edition went on sale in Taiwan.  Later in the year, rights were sold to publishers in Italy, Mexico and, most recently, mainland China.  My little book is really traveling!

Family events this year included the visit of our great niece, Jysenia in February, resulting in the Madsons learning to ride a Segway.  We all took the San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf Segway tour.  In May we were part of the wonderful wedding of our niece, Sarah Louise Offenbacher to Lejon Douroux in Big Bear, CA.  July saw us travel east for the wedding of a dear friend and former student, Victoria LaBalme to Frank Oz in the Adirondacks.  We coupled this trip with a visit to our best friends who live in Gananoque, Ontario, Dalla and Jeremy Brown.  Ron was treated to a surprise birthday party in August and we had a lively visit by my brother Michael and his wife Lynn in October.  This occasioned another trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  Thanksgiving was at our house (photo below) and Ron’s brother Gary, his wife Cheryl and ALL of their children and grandchildren came from far and wide.  They all made the dinner!  We were still in jetlag from our big trip. 

Our family expanded by two when we welcomed two crazy new Himalayan kittens into our life in July.  Meet Bodhi and Dharma, brother and sister and the newest occupants of our hearts and litter boxes.  In October Patricia held court at Stanford with a reunion of the past 20 years of Stanford Improvisers, the group she founded.  The weekend was an ecstatic celebration of living the life of YES!       

   

November saw us take the BIG TRIP to Bhutan and India, a long awaited adventure. Ron is still sorting the four thousand photos.  In India we got to meet our Tibetan “daughter” Pasang Dolma.  She and her sister traveled from Dharamsala to meet us and spend a day at the Taj Mahal.  Bhutan remains a poem of an adventure.  The Buddhist culture, art and smiling people are engraved in our hearts.

Ron’s love of photography has grown this year as he took several classes in Photoshop and camera craft.  He was one of the wedding photographers for Sarah and Lejon.  Oh, and Patricia had her 15 minutes of fame this year when the New York Times interviewed her for an article on “What I would do if I were President.”  She would send them all to improv school.  And the best news is that we have both flown through this year with good health.  2012 promises to be a quieter year . . . unless our Stanford women go all the way to Colorado! 

And, news just in this morning:  Aaron and Brenda Offenbacher, our nephew and niece in Richmond gave birth to twins, Holden Drake and Stella Jade Offenbacher.  Welcome to our family!   It is indeed a holy day when children are born. Here they are with their smiling mother on the day they were born.

This overlong newsletter brings with it the warmest of wishes for a New Year filled with good sense and good health.  (Although with the elections looming the “good sense” part may be a stretch.)  Blessings for 2012. 

The Madsons Christmas tree 2011

When my husband Ron built our house he created a 16 foot ceiling at one end of the living room.  I didn't know until our first Christmas came around that he had a purpose in this.  Each November we go over to Pastorinos on highway 92 and select the largest tree that Ron can get me to agree to bring home.  It's always a struggle since I like "little things" and Ron clearly likes big ones.  So a family tradition was born.  Put up the biggest tree you can find, and decorate it with the thousand ornaments you have collected over the past forty years.  Our friends know that we have a large tree and so, many of them give us lovely ornaments.  Our stash includes the complete White House ornaments collection.  This was started by my brother, Michael who gave us one a decade ago.  Now we have them all.  
And, here stand I with another family tradition:  dressed for my birthday dinner at Gary Danko.  Ron treats me like a princess and takes me to the best place in town.  Truly it is.  So, I bring you today our fondest wish for a year of health and strength.  And I'm wishing the world a dose of common sense and down to earth-ness in 2012.  I know that's a big order in an election year.  Perhaps if we are lucky we can find that still center which is at the heart of this season.  

The Art of Listening

A recent article in the Sunday New York Times by Henning Mankell, a writer living in Africa makes an important point about listening, an art we have seem to have lost.  Further he talks to us about storytelling and the need we humans have to share stories.  As a teacher of improv I find both of his points compelling.
He relates a story about two old African men who return to a friend's home to hear the end of his story. Unfortunately, the man died before telling the end.  He relates their lament:  “That’s not a good way to die — before you’ve told the end of your story.”


Have you told the end of your story?  Have you told your story at all?
Check this out

Leaving Bhutan

It's an unexpected surprise to find free wifi at the Paro airport lounge. We are poised to leave this extraordinary land. What sticks in my mind is the image of prayer flags everywhere. These good Buddhist believe that each flap of the cloth bears a wish for peace and harmony into the universe. While they don't believe in a God as such, they do trust deeply in reality. Every chance he had our guide could be heard mumbling prayers. Om Manu Padme hum a prayer of hope for enlightenment in this life. Well these hard working people with their reverence for art and beauty strike me as embodying this wisdom. And of course not everyone is a Buddha all the time (even Bhutan has its share of jerks) on the whole the behavior of these people is something to admire. I look forward to time to digest these experiences and write about them. Now my prayers are for safe and uneventful travel over the next 12 thousand miles.



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Day 11 the Central Market, Weaving Museum

The Central Market full of smells, kiddos, dried meat and fish was a sensory delight. Lots of photos but will keep this short due to bandwidth.



The Textile Museum had fabulous DVD. Bringing it home to share


The Paro Dzong majestic and full of artworks.





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Day 10 back to Thimphu

Today is a religious holiday and our guide took us to the most important local temple. We received a blessing on our heads by the presiding Lama. No photos inside but here you see the ever present prayer wheels.





Here the main prayer Om Mani Padme Hum is written on the walls everywhere. These are at the top of the pass Dochu La. 10,300 feet up where we hung prayer flags we brought from California.
Finally we visited a nature preserve home to the Takin an animal ONLY found in Bhutan. Horns like a goat about the size of a small cow.


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Location:Thimphu Bhutan

Some images of the Chorten and Dzong

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Many buildings in Bhutan celebrate fertility. These paintings are everywhere.



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Crossing the Pelela pass

We had a long travel day from from the village of Trongsa (elevation 7472) to the village of Punakha (elevation 4600). On route we went over a high pass is around 10,399feet. We hung our own prayer flags on the chorten at the summit. Lunch was in a rustic village. Here is a photo of the restaurant. Paintings of phalluses are on the sides of many houses and buildings. The Bhutanese are really into honoring fertility.


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More pictures from Bhutan

The Trongsa Dzong. These handsome buildings are part local government and part monastery and temple.


This is the cave featured in the film Travelers and Magicians.









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Bhutanese society

A quick footnote: you got to love a country that has 1.Outlawed smoking. 2. Requires that citizens in the major cities walk or bike to work two fixed days a week. (fully enforced save the air days) and 3. Has two months a year (April and Sept) when eating meat is forbidden. Oh, and you must be formally dressed to go to school, temple or into a civic building. Here was a sign outside a hospital.


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Buddhist temples and images Day 5

Today seems like it had 50 hours. We saw so much. After the festival dances this morning we were taken to the three main Buddhist temples in Blumthang. Breathtaking interiors of shrine rooms. No photos were allowed inside these holy places. I found myself on the verge of tears many times seeing the statues and holy relics. One of the temples housed a sanctuary with the largest statue of Guru Rinpoche in Bhutan. He is the saint who brought Buddhism to Bhutan in 764 ad. Photos below are of dancers at the festival, a painted mani wall and the main trio of temples, Kurjey Lhakhang.
Moving tomorrow to the town of Trongsa. No Internet for the next four days. Bhutan is a country that is very wise.








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Day 6. Blumthang and Jambay Festival

Our sixth day in Bhutan is a colorful one. After a tasty breakfast of buckwheat pancakes, a local speciality, we set out to arrive early for the Jambay festival. This is a Buddhist festival that celebrates fertility. The people see these festivals as major social events and show up dressed in their finest with picnic baskets full of food and drink. Revelry is not uncommon. One of the events our guide did not take us to is a midnight naked dance. Lots to say but our tour guide is pulling us away.








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Day 5 Bhutan

It has been quite an adventure. After a full day of delights in Thimphu we set off for a distant area called Gantey where we were to stay in a primitive farmhouse. The drive which took eight hours covered rough and narrow roads but the scenery was breathtaking. Arriving at the farmhouse at dusk Ron was not feeling well. We were at 9300 feet elevation Our kind and helpful guide checking his symptoms judged that he was suffering from altitude sickness. The only way to treat this safely is to descend to a much lower altitude. So at night our driver brought us back down the mt to the town of Punakha a three hour dusty drive. Near midnight we took Ron to a local hospital (which is a story in itself). The Bhutanese doctor who was called from home examined him and judged that he was going to be okay. We stayed overnight in the Primeministers guest house. (another long story)
On day 4 we had another all day drive arriving for the night in the town of Trongsa. Both of us were pretty wiped out. The acclimatization is taking longer than we imagined. But today day 5 we had only a three hour drive through beautiful forests to get to Jakar. Along the way we hung prayer flags at the highest pass (thanks Jim,for good idea) then got to see a rehearsal for a Buddhist festival. We've at last arrived where we will be staying for three nights. We are at 8400 feet and it's cold. Our room has a tiny wood stove. They light it at night. The weather has been PERFECT. Cool clear and dazzling. Taking lots of photos and videos but will wait to post when we have stronger Internet.
So you see it has been quite an adventure. I think the hardest part altitude wise is behind us and we'll get stronger and mor


e able to enjoy this countries many blessings.
Here are some prayer flags.


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More images from day 2

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Location:Thimphu