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PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING BASED ON COMEDY AND IMPROVISATION

Recommendations for professional development, based on comedy and improvisation based learning

These notes summarise some of the generic principles covered in Positive Comedy training and workshops.

... plus suggestions for putting them into practice in self-presentation, and communication

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Learning principles
arising from Positive Comedy training: self-presentation and communication

1) Be yourself. You are a unique individual, with unique qualities and capabilities. You can borrow ideas and methods from others, but your own natural mode of expression is your most powerful medium. Try to use it more and more.

2) Remember the power of being fully in the present moment. Work with what is happening right now. If something goes wrong, let it go. Don't think too far ahead. Cultivate the habit of being in the 'now', rather than worrying about what has already happened or what might happen.

3) Take advantage of unexpected events and surprising developments, rather than fearing them. Even if you feel thrown off centre by something, remember that your audience doesn't necessarily know that. Let's not be too afraid of taking risks or making mistakes in terms of how we behave, perform or relate to others, because this habit opens up whole new areas for positive development.

4) Be prepared. Know your material well, and how you are going to approach it; this is the basis for confidence. But also be prepared to depart from your plan if and when appropriate.

5) Use spontaneity to your advantage. For instance, practice the habit of presenting material from bullet points or keywords rather than fully written-up text; this enables you to choose your precise wording and expression in the moment, and permits more eye contact and connection with your audience.

6) Remember that you have within you an infinite supply of creative potential and imaginative ideas and possibilities - this is what you have been learning to access through improvisation. Recall the feeling you got when you were able to do that, and cultivate the habit of accessing it more and more. Get into the habit of harvesting creative ideas whenever you get them, whether on a bus, or in a meeting, or on the loo - if necessary by writing them down - for this will encourage your creative habit all the more.

7) Humour and comedy have their place in business as in life. Humour can help grab an audience's attention, relax them, make material more interesting or win over those who are hostile. But use humour appropriately; remember that the most powerful and captivating comedy arises naturally and organically out of situations and character. Beware of humour that is at someone's expense (except your own).

8) Use appropriately the principles of status and authority which are explored in Positive Comedy training. For instance, exercise higher status techniques in order to exercise authority positively, or play a lower status role without being servile.

9) Develop awareness of that gut feeling for an audience; it can tell you how they are relating to you, when you should carry on with what you're already doing, and when you need to do something different.

10) Find out what works for you in dealing with nerves or anxiety - such as being particularly well prepared, breathing calmly, or assuring yourself that your audience wants you to succeed. Remember that nervous anxiety is essentially the same energy as creative excitement, without which a performance lacks life; practice drawing on it rather than wishing it wasn't there.

11) All the above can be applied to general as well as professional life - in fact, these cannot really be separated, if we are to be as effective and fulfilled as possible.

12) You may find it useful to employ the practical techniques which we use in the training sessions, for physical loosening up, raising energy and promoting relaxation - including breathing, stretching and movement, and focusing in the abdominal area. These can be used before an important event or as a general routine such as first thing in the morning.

13) Transforming ourselves is the most powerful way to change the world. Our work is not just for ourselves but to create value on a larger scale. Bearing this in mind empowers us all the more.

Please feel free to contact us with queries, to give feedback, or to order training:

This material is copyright Gerry Thompson 2007, but can be freely circulated with an acknowledgement of the source

For further info in UK call 01273 463611 or 07986 561860

Email: info@positivecomedy.com

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