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Thanks for so many wonderful responses and food for thought. It was
very cool to see it inspired a video from Alex Iglecia. Clearly a
lot of years went into getting to that level of understanding the
mind/body elements that guide his recommendations about how to
prepare to be surprised.<br>
<br>
I especially enjoying the poster tip. It seems a very simple way to
get people in the right mood. I was wondering if there were any good
artwork for such a poster that I could do for my next Open Space -
but Thomas' upside down seems elegantly simple.<br>
<br>
Improv came up several times. I love improv! I think it's
interesting that one of the leading improv gurus, Keith Johnstone,
wrote a book called "Don't Be Prepared". He's more famous for
"Impro", but I cracked open the book that seems to eschew
preparation and came upon the beginning of a chapter titled "BEING
THERE":<br>
<br>
<blockquote>My first students seemed quite normal until I asked them
to improvise; many of them would then become 'over-strong',
banging violently on tables, or patting their partner's shoulders
with flat hands that did not yield to the contours that they
touched.<br>
<br>
If I walked into a scene when they were 'acting' they often failed
to observe me, and their muscles felt as hard as wood. A player
who tried to join a scene in progress was always likely to be
ignored. [...]<br>
<br>
I began interrupting improvisors in mid-flight to ask them what
they were doing (I'd never acted so I need to know). Always they'd
use the past or the future tense. "I just came in the door,"
they'd say, or: "I'm about to sit on the sofa"; no one ever said:
"I'm wondering where to sit!"<br>
<br>
I realized that my own mind moved into the past or the future
whenever I felt insecure (Should I do this? Should I have done
that?), and that when I seemed to be 'listening' to someone I
might actually be thinking up something clever to say. My students
were showing an extreme version of this behaviour.<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
What's interesting to me is that it does not seem normal to be able
to improvise well. It appears to take a lot of practice being
flexible, limber - keeping the body and mind stretched. Keith
Johnstone's book is filled with preparations to make it possible to
not be prepared. Just one more quote from his book - under
"Paradoxical Teaching":<br>
<br>
<blockquote>... if you want students to master the art of
'not-blocking' ideas, ask them to 'block' ideas (because then
they'll recognize blocking when it occurs inadvertently); and if
you want them to act well, let them have fun acting badly (this
helps them shed a lot of fear).<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
Harold<br>
<br>
<br>
On 4/6/12 3:27 PM, Thomas Herrmann wrote:
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"
lang="EN-US">One way I do, that may be of assistance, is
that I write those words at the entrence – and SURPRISED I
write upside down – clear message </span><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Wingdings;color:#1F497D"
lang="EN-US">J</span><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"
lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"
lang="EN-US">Cheers<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"
lang="EN-US">Thomas Herrmann<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
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lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:windowtext">Från:</span></b><span
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<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org">oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org</a>
[<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="mailto:oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org">mailto:oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org</a>] <b>För
</b>Harold Shinsato<br>
<b>Skickat:</b> den 4 april 2012 18:39<br>
<b>Till:</b> <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:oslist@openspacetech.org">oslist@openspacetech.org</a><br>
<b>Ämne:</b> [OSList] How to prepare to be surprised?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">Searching
through the archives there were many many postings about "be
prepared to be surprised". But "How to be prepared to be
surprised" returned 0.<br>
<br>
Any tips on how to prepare? It came up as a question today for
me in conversation with someone - and I can't believe I've
never thought about it before. How do you prepare to be
surprised? Any thoughts, tips?<br>
<br>
Thanks!<br>
Harold<o:p></o:p></p>
<br>
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