I got another plant for my work desk, it dried and died over a weekend.

I brought it back home, and suddenly, it has leaves growing again.

I got another plant for my work desk, it dried and died over a weekend.

I brought it back home, and suddenly, it has leaves growing again.

<Impro: Improvisation and The Theatre> by Keith Johnstone

We all have our own unique creativity within us, but often fear holds us back from unleashing it. We worry about being judged as lunatic or too edgy, and even doubt ourselves for not coming up with something groundbreaking enough.
Do not deny your thoughts. Everyone has interesting weird thoughts. You don’t need become lunatic and edgy to be creative, but don’t try to suppress those ideas or pretend they don’t exist. Accept your thoughts for what they are and let yourself be creative without fear of judgment.
That’s how you become creative.

This review was written while I wasn’t focusing too much. If you are reading this, just take the message and don’t dig too much.

I read this book in Korean.

I’m not familiar with the author nor the book.
I was given this book by my “사수” or “SenPai” at work. He was a person who likes to gift books.
He wrote a short letter on a blank page at the front of the book that he don’t remember much of the content, but the concept of “Exchange of status”, the fact that there always is difference of status between any group of more than two people, has left a strong impression on him. It’s something that he would often think about at work.

Well, that’s him. I also agree it’s an interesting thought and it’s a good tool to have in my pocket for social interaction, but thinking in such way is tiring, isn’t it? I prefer to think of human interactions as “intention” and “desire” based. In my model of human interactions, good communication can reach the optimal result for both. It is not about who is higher or lower, and is about understanding each other’s needs, and sometimes even one’s own needs too.

My favorite part of this book was on creative thoughts, but let me correct my coworker’s view on the “status” that the author was talking about. The way I took it is:
“It is easier to make interesting human interactions if you keep in mind about the mechanics of the actors or the characters.”
After all, this book is about improvisational theatre. And I see that how it can help actors to put themselves in character with this approach.

In my favorite part when the author talks about how he was discouraged about his imaginations. There were mainly three reasons on why. The first thing that popped up in his mind felt either:
- lunatic
- edgy
- or not creative enough
I have been suffering about this for a long time too. Intrusive thoughts, curiosity and genuinely new thoughts have been punished by others but mostly by myself. The fear of being judged and ridiculed couldn’t overcome my desire to explore anything.

The author continues to blame the schooling system for growing us as these “socially acceptable” and restrictive people. I can understand why he might think so, but I do not agree completely. Those intrusive thoughts should also learn to cope with the society and to be considerate and helpful to others too. I would agree that the school systems do too much to restrict us, but you shouldn’t let them kill your thoughts.

The reason why I like about this part is because I felt understood and I felt I found solution. We all have unacceptable thoughts, and although we try our best to not show them, we sometimes actually like to see the ideas released. We don’t have to embrace the edgy thoughts, but shouldn’t shy away from it. Just accept your thoughts. And you don’t have to try too hard to become “creative” your thoughts are already unique, even if they look plain on the surface.

Something I always wanted to try drawing. Natural landscape