Do your imagination justice by improving your technique.

This is part three of our take on the four-part video series “Ira Glass on Storytelling.” Previously we’ve looked at the “Building Blocks of Story” and discussed what it takes to write or improvise great stories.

This episode looks at a problem that creative people often face: knowing that your work could be better than it currently is, and discovering what it takes to get through that difficult phase.

Creativity and expectations

Most people get started in creative work after an experience that inspired them. When you are moved to create, you have the opportunity to give back to the community and to produce something that may inspire others.

But after the initial excitement of the first few classes, rehearsals, shows or videos, the difference between your ability and your ambition starts to become clear. You realize it’s going to take a while to get to where you want to be.

If you’ve ever been at this point (and I certainly have), you know it is tempting to procrastinate, to become discouraged, to make excuses, or even to give up because you haven’t “arrived” yet.

Instead, focus on the process rather than the product. Recognize that you’ve taken steps toward achieving your creative vision and use that as motivation to keep working and growing.

Ideas vs. execution

One thing that prevents many people from really diving into creative work is the tendency to get so caught up in the “ideas” that nothing ever becomes a reality. A great idea for a sketch won’t amount to anything if it is never written; a gripping story is worthless if it is never told.

While there’s a certain safety in not following through with your ideas — nobody can judge them (except for you) if they’re locked away in your mind — this behavior is counterproductive and prevents growth.

Besides, the ideas themselves just aren’t that important.

Improvisation is the perfect example. How could anyone possibly improvise a worthwhile show (or even one scene!) from a random audience suggestion if the quality of the suggestion itself really had that much to do with it? Yet talented improvisers turn seemingly lousy suggestions into great scenes every single night.

So if the idea itself isn’t important, what is?

Technique. It’s what you do with the idea, how you apply your own unique perspective to the idea and how you express your own unique point of view through it, that matters. It’s all about the execution.

Mastering the mechanics

If you aren’t comfortable with your medium, your work will always fall short of your imagination. It’s like imagining a great story and sitting down to write it without understanding spelling or grammar. It simply won’t come together. Practice your craft until you do not have to think about the mechanics, and your work will become at once easier and more sophisticated.

When technique is automatic, your unique perspective shines through to create honest, engaging, inspiring work.

Taking the focus off of the ideas and onto technique is both liberating and intimidating. While we no longer have to twiddle our thumbs waiting for The One True Great Idea, it does mean that we have to buckle down and actually do some work if we ever hope to do our imagination justice.

The important thing is that you realize it is within your control and, therefore, ultimately up to you.

The value of training

Training and practice help to develop your technique. They allow you to make the most of your ideas, suggestions, or opportunities. They give you the preparation that enables you to take ideas, which have no inherent value, and turn them into something great.

Training also provides confidence, which allows you to feel more comfortable with the choices you make. Confidence allows you to express yourself more directly, more clearly, and more completely through your work.

Confidence simply allows you to be yourself.

So if you want to be a better improviser, do as many scenes as you can. If you want to be a better writer, write as often as possible. Be realistic about what kind of results to expect and, more importantly, be sure to enjoy the process.

Your best work will occur when you are simply engrossed in your routine. The months and years spent growing into your creative potential can be just as thrilling and rewarding as anything you create along the way.

So what are you waiting for? If you are an improviser, sketch comedy writer, or viral video maker, you could always boost your technique by taking an improv or sketch comedy class from FuseBox Theatre.

What do you think?

How long have you been improvising, writing, or otherwise creating? What have you found to be difficult or frustrating? How did you get through it? Are you enjoying the process? Leave a comment below and let us know!

Next time, in the final entry in this series, we’ll look at the importance of drama in storytelling and two common pitfalls that can make or break your creative work.