What Does This Photo Have To Do With Improvisation?

An important part of improvisation is seeing and sensing what is there.  Often when we are looking for something, we fail to notice things and appreciate the details of what is there.

I took this picture when I was running along the river.  I was looking out for natural things:  rabbits, hawks, flowers.  The smashed-in television was not what I was looking for.  It did not fit with the sunny Spring day moment I was having.  Perhaps I could have run by that garbage, but it did catch my attention.  That is another important thing:  Make your attention available and notice what catches it.  Allow yourself to respond.  Get closer.  Pause.  Take it in, then let yourself engage:  what specifically interests me?  how do I want to interact with it?

In this case, I was taking a photo, so I needed to decide how to frame it in order to emphasize what attracted me, to illuminate what aspect had power for me.  In this instance,  I wanted to focus on the content, the inside of the tv.  I was not interested in the outer casing that we see all the time.  So, we accentuate the strong details with our choice of how we frame the material.  We can also do this in (dance) improvisation.  We don't necessarily have to make ourself the focal point, but rather choose something bigger or more powerful than ourselves... we make ourselves of service to reveal that something bigger than our little self.   Here, I wanted to accentuate not just the contents but the chaos of the contents, so I let the wires and electrical components dominate the space.

Once you have noticed what catches your attention, followed your curiosity, engaged with the material, framed the situation to emphasize what intrigues you, then what?   Stick around.  Look again.  What else is there?  For me, it wasn't until I went home and looked further at the photo that I noticed the empty nip bottle of Fighting Cock bourbon inside the tv.  What a fabulous little surprise that I had missed. It added another layer to the chaos of the contents and brought another presence into the image.  It added bourbon, the human drinking the bourbon, perhaps while they smashed in the television...or not.  I liked the addition.

So, yes, just when you think you've noticed everything, look again.  See what you see.  There's always more if you are interested..... if you are interested.   And that's a whole other story for next time.