Noticing: The Simple Key to Improvisation, Innovation, and Humor!

Do you want to get better at improv, humor, and innovation?

Yes? Good, it’s simpler than you think! (And if you answered “no,” well, then, I got nothing for ya’…)

One of the simplest ways to start improving all those areas is to Start Noticing. 

Yup. You’re ability to improvise, be funny, innovate, and solve problems is directly related to your ability to notice things. Think about it:

• Some of the best Improvisers, rather than staying hyper-focused on their objective (or any one thing), de-focus their attention, notice small details within the scene/story, and build their improvisations off of that.
• Some of the best Comedians just notice things that we all miss, point it out, and explore it. Jerry Seinfeld was a master at this.
• Some of the best Innovators notice the problems or opportunities that we all encounter everyday and take for granted and then set about solving them.

Here are three things you can practice “noticing” today:

1 – Details – There are probably hundreds of things around you every day that you take for granted. For example, I sketched out this post while sitting on my couch with the TV remote next to me. I use that remote every day. This time, I actually took a closer look and noticed how many different buttons are on there that I had no idea about, had never pushed, and honestly have no idea what they do. That simple observation could lead to improvisation (one player pushes a button and something random happens), comedy (do a whole bit around all the weird buttons), or innovation (can you solve the problem of how confusing a remote can be? Build a better remote? Simplify it? etc.)  Take a moment now and notice something around you that you see everyday.

2 – Differences –  Pay attention to what is different between two similar things. Looking at Jerry Seinfeld again, he had a whole routine around some medicines being “fast-acting” vs. others being “long-lasting.” “Do I want to feel good now or later?” Start looking at the differences between similar products, objects, people, shows, activities, etc and you open your mind up to some great creativity. 

3 – Elements of Your Routines – We all have routines – habits and activities that we do without even thinking about them. When you start paying attention to the stuff you do on a routine basis you may be startled at the opportunities for humor or innovation (the two are actually quite related). One of my favorite funny memes on Facebook says, “”One of the weirder things about being an adult is having a favorite stovetop burner, yet nobody talks about it.” You know, that is very true about me, I always default to my front-right burner everyday, and have never thought about it. Similarly, there are probably annoyances you have dealt with in a routine way for so long you no longer think about them. Noticing elements of those routines and solving them will, at the least, help you solve them.  
Take some time over the next few days just noticing things and see how that opens up your improvisation, humor, and innovation!

P.S. (This idea is one of three I talked about in a Facebook Live video on my group last week. To watch the video and learn all three, join the group now: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MotivationalImprov)

About

By Avish Parashar. As the world's only Motivational Improviser, Avish uses techniques from the world of improv comedy to engage, entertain, and educate audiences on ideas around change, creativity, and motivation. Connect with Avish on Google+

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