Wikipedia states about Jazz music: “…no other music relies so much on the art of ‘composing in the moment,’ demanding that every musician rises to a certain level of creativity that may put the performer in touch with their unconscious as well as conscious states.”
Improvisation, like creativity, is commonly misunderstood as “anything goes.” In fact, there are many rules. We can and should break these rules, but doing so is easier once we have mastered them.
Improvisation is essential because the only thing we know is that change is constant. If change is constant, and if we want to be kind and helpful, then we need to learn to improvise. However, this is challenging for many people. What prepares us to be good at “composing in the moment?”
During my childhood, my mother ran a small catering business out of our home. At ten years old, I was responsible for shopping for ingredients, preparing food, packing it, transporting it, setting up, serving, and cleaning up. We learn easily as children, so I mastered those skills. When I’m in a hospitality situation that requires improvisation, like at a party, I don’t have to think about what to do; it comes naturally. Similarly, I’ve been an educator for over 15 years. When a teaching situation requires improvisation, it is easy for me to handle.
Zooming out, I’ve been a creative person all my life, nurtured by my mother. In many situations, I can improvise. However, I notice that there are some situations in which I cannot. I face blocks. I can’t seem to transfer the skill of improv to these situations. I have it in my head, I think, that I need to have some level of mastery before I can break the rules. But I hold this assumption with curiosity. There’s a fear beneath it that I need to understand better.
In which situations are you able to improvise? How has your own history prepared you to improvise or deterred you from it? In what areas do you lean into improv, and in what areas would you like to lean into it more?
TUNING Design Co. 