One Word Suggestion: Editing

One of the most famous improv schools in the world is UCB, the Upright Citizens Brigade, and when you walk into their New York offices, one of the first things you’ll see is a giant poster that says: Don’t Think

They’re famous for coining this expression and it’s important to understand that they’re not saying turn your brain off, they’re saying trust your instincts. Say or do the thing in the moment that feels right because it probably is. At least, that’s how I interpret it.

Looking at this from a behavioural science perspective what “don’t think” really means is don’t edit.

Editing is that little voice in your head:

“Should I say this? If I do will people get it? Will I look stupid? What if I’m not funny? What if I get it wrong? Maybe I’ll just stand here and keep my mouth shut.”

And that little voice will mess you up every time. As David Razowsky once said, “Fuck your brain, it’s a liar and an asshole.”

Or, as I say: trust your gut.

The opposite of editing is auditing, and again from a behavioral science perspective what this means is just being present and aware in the moment, observing what’s going on around you, listening actively and taking it all in, looking for opportunities to add your own perspective when appropriate.

Put more simply: Get out of your head and get into this very moment.

And improv training can help you get better at doing this. Whether you want to perform on stage or perform at work, learning not to edit can help you move forward, build self-confidence, and get better at trusting your gut.

As for editing scenes on stage, I’m going to assume if you’re watching this you have a good idea already of what it means and how to do it. If you don’t… come take a class!

And in the meantime, stop listening to that voice in your head… unless it’s telling you something important, like put on some pants, or that might be a shark, or ice cream!