Whether I'm painting, singing or cooking, I like to improvise. Improvisation is essential to my writing practice too, so I'm all ears when someone offers insight into how to 'get into the flow'. I recently attended Vocali, a music camp that invited us to "Put your music where your mouth is." One outstanding facilitator, vocal percussionist Sam Rogers, asked us what we thought the most essential element of improvisation might be. We considered Listening, Commitment and Risk. All good answers, Sam said, and then he added that Bobbi McFerrin (brilliant vocal improvisor) has declared it's Movement. He's not the only one to say so, of course. Here's Mozart: "I really can say no more on this subject than the following, for I myself know no more about it and cannot account for it. When I am, as it were, completely myself, entirely alone and of good cheer - say travelling in a carriage or walking after a good meal ... it is on such occasions that my ideas flow best and most abundantly." I know the truth of this from experience. So it's got me thinking - how can I use movement to free up my writing? Can I write and walk at the same time? Move and speak and record it all for later transcription? Dance in my writing chair?
Susan Ellenton is a Victoria BC based writer, musician, artist and jewelry maker. She can be reached here or at her own site, here.
