“Move from fear to spontaneous expression. Through spontaneity we are re-formed into ourselves. It creates an explosion that for the moment frees us from handed-down frames of reference, memory choked with old facts and information and undigested theories and techniques of other people’s findings. Spontaneity is the moment of personal freedom when we are faced with reality, and see it, explore it and act accordingly. In this reality the bits and pieces of ourselves function as an organic whole. It is the time of discovery, of experiencing, of creative expression.” — Viola Spolin. Improvisation for the Theater, 1963, p.4
Decades before brain imaging technology would become available, Viola Spolin offered this timeless description of what individuals experience when doing theatrical improvisation. Now, with the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain scans, we can see that when improvising, the part of the brain associated with self-monitoring, self-editing, judgment, selective attention and planning quiets; while the part of the brain associated with self-expression and creativity shows an increase. (Limb et al., 2008; Lui et al., 2012, McPherson et al., 2016).1 In fact, Limb & McPherson, (2016), describe this as the “neural signature of flow states.”
Flow
FlowWhen doing improv, the brain essentially enters into what is described as a mental state of Flow. Flow, recognized and named by Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, is described as an optimal state of consciousness, where one performs seemingly without effort. Self-consciousness recedes as one is totally immersed in an activity, with full focus, engagement and enjoyment. During a state of flow, an activity may feel effortless and one may not feel the passage of time. One’s inner critic is quieted as they feel courageous and spontaneous; creatively linking ideas and expressing them.
There are specific preconditions or triggers that help one enter flow. In his book, The Rise of Superman (2014), Kolter describes 17 preconditions to enter a flow state, and improv provides for 16 of these triggers as discussed in the book One Rule Improv (2019).
Ten of these triggers were identified by Dr. Keith Sawyer in his book, Group Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration (2017), where he identifies ten social triggers to attain “group flow.” Group flow occurs when a group is sharing a collective experience and performing at their peak. Sawyer’s past experience playing piano with Chicago improv groups granted him a firsthand understanding of the power and nature of improv.
This understanding of what is happening to the brain when improvising presents exciting possibilities. With improv’s 1- to 3- minute games, the rapid and repeated practice of moving into a state of flow can strengthen neural pathways (Siegel, 2012). This means that no matter how someone is feeling or what part of their brain they are in, improv can quickly move them to a state of flow, thus enabling them to be more expressive, creative, better their performance, and experience a greater capacity for learning, self-regulation, motivation, confidence, self-esteem and happiness.
Also amazing, is that a beginner can achieve flow. While it may take much practice to achieve flow in some activities, in improv you are performing at the “top of your intelligence.” Bob Kulhan (2017), founder and CEO of Business Improv, explains that this common expression often used in improv means that a player makes rapid and spontaneous decisions based on one’s own experience, knowledge and training.
Players do not need hours or years of performance experience to find themselves in a state of flow. Practice of improv will, however, develop an increased ability to reach flow more rapidly, consistently and in a wider variety of games. It is improv’s own nature that makes it a highly effective means of accessing the mental state of flow.
No matter what a person may be feeling; no matter what part of the brain may be active, improv is capable of taking them to a state of flow. This explains how someone exhausted from the day, stressed, miserable, and anxious can—within seconds of doing improv—feel positive, engaged and energized.
For those of us who do improv, we know this. We experience it. Viola Spolin (1963) beautifully described it. That’s why we get excited and want to share improv. This is why we find ourselves so easily applying it to other parts of our professional and personal lives. There is a real power to improv and now we have the brain scans proving it.
References
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2008). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. Harper Perennial Modern Classics. New York:NY: (p. 27).
Csikszentmihályi, M.; Abuhamdeh, S. & Nakamura, J. (2005). Flow. Handbook of Competence and Motivation, New York: The Guilford Press, pp. 598–698
Kotler, S. (2014). The Rise of Superman. New: NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Kulhan, B. (2017). Getting to Yes, And: The Art of Business Improv. Stanford Ca: Stanford Business Books, p. 7.
Limb, C. J. & Braun, A. R. (2008). Neural Substrates of Spontaneous Musical Performance: An fMRI Study of Jazz Improvisation. Plos/One; 3(2): e1679. Published online 2008 Feb 27. doi: 10.1371/journal. pone.0001679
McPherson, and M. Limb, C. (2016). Making it up as you go along: how your brain improvises. The Guardian. Retrieved from
McPherson, M. J. et al. (2016). Emotional Intent Modulates The Neural Substrates Of Creativity: An fMRI Study of Emotionally Targeted Improvisation in Jazz Musicians. Scientific Reports 6, 18460; doi: 10.1038/srep18460
Liu, S. et al. (2012). Neural Correlates of Lyrical Improvisation: An fMRI Study of Freestyle Rap. Scientific Reports volume 2, 834.
Sawyer, R. K. (2017). Group genius: The creative power of collaboration. New York, NY: Basic Books.
Siegel, D.J. (2012). The developing mind: How relationships and the brain interact to shape who we are. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Spolin, V. (1963). Improvisation for the theater. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press. (p. 4). Spolin, V. quoted in Los Angeles Times, May 26, 1974.
Reprinted with permission from chapters 1 and 4 of One Rule Improv: The Fast, Easy, No Fear Approach to Teaching, Learning and Applying Improv. 2019 by Mary DeMichele.
