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The Early Morning Dichotomy
Up before the sun with a newborn
One of the best things that improv teaches us is to be present; to “live in the moment.” That’s become quiet the buzz phrase lately for every self-help guru and social media influencer. “Just live in the moment.” Yeah, okay. The difference with improv is that it allows for practice. It’s not just a cute meme spewing platitudes. You can actually exercise skills allowing you to recognize the benefits of being in the moment. (Follow along here and on my blog, , for some sample exercises)
We often say in improv that nothing exists but the present. That is to say, you can only create in the now. You cannot exist in the past or in the future. There is only the present moment, slowly evolving into the next present moment and the next and the next. The gift of this practice is that even when you fail, when you are unable to be present, you’ve built the skills to recognize that and try to adjust. You have a tool box not just a tweet.
This picture (though boring) is the summation of my life right now. A gliding bassinet to my left, a used burp cloth, baby monitor and a cup of coffee. The only thing missing is the clock…
