Yes, and…
…is probably the most important idea I learnt in improv.
Two responses I often default to in real life are cardinal sins in improv:
- No, but: the conversation remains stuck (e.g. A - Let’s organise a party! B - No, but I don’t think anyone will come!)
- Yes, but: equally stuck, although it seems less negative (e.g. A - Let’s organise a party! B - Yes, but we’ve got no money!)
Both these responses, which many of us might have either heard or said ourselves, don’t allow for real collaboration and building of ideas. By constantly raising objections, it can feel unsafe to share ideas. And this stifles creativity and playfulness. You can see why both these approaches don’t work in improv which is entirely dependent on an atmosphere of mutual play.
“Yes, and” is an approach that allows you to build and improve together. Imagine if we bring this beyond the improv stage, into our daily lives?
- A: Let’s organise a party!
- B: Yes, and we should make it Harry Potter themed, like you’ve always wanted!
- A: Yes, and let’s invite our friends from school to come as witches and wizards!
- B: That’s great, and I can do the invites!
(You get the picture.)
I’ve found that when I practise Yes, And-ing ideas, I get to jam with my partner and come up with something larger than I could have otherwise imagined. This is true for improv, and most certainly true in “real life”.
What idea will you Yes, And next?
✅ Day 4 done