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Begin by doing a simple move with your body. Make the move bigger and bigger. As you amplify the move, pay attention to other things that are happening in your body as a result. Amplify those movements and see what else shows up elsewhere in your body. Continue the pattern of amplifying, noticing other changes, and amplifying those.
If you hear the word “birthday,” what do you think of? Birthday cakes? Parties? Presents? Getting old? Whatever you think of, those are associations.
If thinking is like walking, one might assume that thinking fast is like running. It’s not. Walking fast and running are two entirely different skills. It’s the same with thinking. Thinking fast isn’t really thinking at all. It’s responding. Thinking is slow and methodical. Responding is quick and intuitive. To think fast, you don’t think, you respond.
Inspiration produces ideas without mental effort. The other side of the coin is invention. Both are useful tools when improvising.
If making stuff up is scary or hard, consider this: You make up stories every night when you dream. You can already make stuff up. You just need to tap into that ability when you’re awake. There are two ways to do that: inspiration and invention.
Invention is the generation of ideas through a process of conscious thought. It’s counterpoint is inspiration. Both are useful tools when improvising.
Trying to be creative is a trap. It puts you in your head and gets in the way of flow. Let your offers arise naturally out of the context. Trying to be interesting or entertaining seldom produces the desired result. Allow things to be obvious and see where they take you.