We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Vanessa Elle Wilde a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Vanessa Elle, thanks for joining us today. Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.

My parents are both creatives so I learned early on the value of trusting and following through on my creative instincts. Funny enough, before I ever knew a thing about Improvisational comedy, my mother, who was an incredible designer always said to greet customers with a smile, and always say YES! This is one of the primary principles of applied improvisation Yes, AND, and a guiding light for how I work and live my life. What she meant by this was to find a way to make the client happy and give them what they want, even if you don’t know exactly how to do it. She said it’s our job as creatives to figure it out! In improvisation, this same principle applies – whatever the audience gives you, say YES, AND then go figure out how to add that into the scene. This is where the magic lives!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

In 2013 I was diagnosed with Lyme disease. The diagnosis was a relief after years of not feeling well. However, I felt like hell most days, and on some days, I felt like I was dying. In a moment of honesty, I thought “well if I die, I better take some acting classes and at least fulfill this little dream.” Acting classes in San Diego were sparse, but my friend Heather suggest I take improv. I thought “i’m not funny!” but she convinced me to try it out. The classes were held at a senior center and as I pulled up I was tempted to turn around and go home. The only reason I went is because I wanted to feel better and figured getting out of my head and trying something new would be good for me. Little did I know how good it would be. From the first class, I was head over heels! I loved the class, the other participants, and most of all my teacher. It was the first time in my life, I felt fully accepted and celebrated for who I am, and all the mistakes I made in class. The Yes, AND philosophy elevated my approach to live and gave me permission to explore more of my creativity. It also inspired the mindset work I do today. At the core of my work is the important of self-trust and following through on one’s creative ideas and instincts. The path forward however is often blocked with self-impossed limitations, as well as the limits we learned growing up. Through the principles of applied improvisation I teach people how to get over themselves and get on with being themselves and doing what they really enjoy.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Growing up in a strict vedic religion where it was reinforced that any desire outside of the service to god was bad. I heard NO most of my childhood as it related to what I wore to how I expressed myself. In class one day, we were given pages from a hindu colouring book. I chose a picture of Krishna, who is known to be the colour of a rain cloud. In my child brain, I thought “well if Krishna can be blue, he can probably be silver also.” As I tapped into my creativity and began colouring within the lines with a gorgeous silver crayon, my teacher pulled me to the front of th class, put a dunce cap on my head and told me that I was being offensive to god. This was the first creative shutdown I had experienced, and had many more to follow. These moments influenced my ability to trust my self, and influenced a host of habits that had me denying my trust creative expression. It wasn’t until I became ill with Lyme that I really came back to my creative self, and created new habits that include writing, painting and teaching improv. Applied Improvisation harnesses the power of play and provides guidelines that make it applicable to almost any life or work situation. It’s implications are vast, powerful and most of all add a much needed element of fun.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Play is a sorely underrated strategy for success in business, yet it holds immense potential for fostering creativity, collaboration, and an overall wellbeing of a team. At its core, play is not just about having fun; it’s a powerful tool that revolutionizes the way we approach work, especially in today’s hyper-paced and high-pressure work environments.

Here are some areas where play can have a significant impact:

Ideation Stage
Fostering Creativity: During the ideation stage, play can be a significant catalyst for creativity. It encourages out-of-the-box thinking, allowing team members to explore ideas without the fear of judgment or failure. Playful brainstorming sessions, for instance, can lead to innovative solutions that a more rigid approach might never uncover.

Breaking Down Barriers: Play helps in breaking down formal barriers within a team, promoting open communication and the free exchange of ideas. This is crucial in the early stages of business planning or project development, where diverse and unconventional ideas often lead to the most effective strategies.

Established Businesses
Enhancing Team Dynamics: For more established businesses, integrating play can rejuvenate team dynamics and inject new energy into routine tasks. It can transform mundane meetings into interactive sessions, increasing engagement and motivation among team members.

Problem-Solving: Playful approaches to problem-solving encourage teams to view challenges from different perspectives, leading to more comprehensive and effective solutions.

Conflict Resolution
Reducing Tension: In conflict situations, play can act as a neutral ground to diffuse tension. It enables individuals to step back from the conflict and engage with each other in a more relaxed and open-minded manner.

Building Empathy: Playful interactions can foster empathy, as they often involve elements of role-playing or scenario enactment. Understanding different viewpoints is crucial in resolving conflicts and making more inclusive decisions.

Team Management
Encouraging Collaboration: Play in team management is about creating an environment where collaboration is not just encouraged but is a natural outcome. Games and team-building activities can help in developing a sense of unity and collective purpose.

Stress Reduction: Regular playful activities can significantly reduce work-related stress, leading to a healthier work environment and better mental well-being for employees.

Learning and Development: Gamified learning experiences can enhance skill development and knowledge retention, making training more effective and enjoyable.

Incorporating the principles of play into various aspects of business, from brainstorming and team building to conflict resolution and ongoing management, is not about trivializing work. Rather, it’s about harnessing the inherent qualities of play—creativity, exploration, collaboration, and fun—to build a more dynamic, innovative, and productive work environment. This approach acknowledges that success in business isn’t just about the bottom line; it’s also about creating a workplace where people feel inspired, connected, and engaged.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.vanessaellewilde.com
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/vanessaellewilde
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/vanessaellewilde