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You’re Right! When You Use Your Right Brain

You have both a left and right brain, which refer to the two hemispheres of your brain. Although the reality is much more complex, in simple terms we could say that the left hemisphere is the domain of language and logic, seeing the whole picture and time in a straight forward or linear direction. The right hemisphere relates to sensation, creativity, intuition, empathy, imagination and the artist within.

Our society tends to support or focus us more in the left hemisphere and often down plays the value of the right. But we need both functioning fully in order to be happy, to feel inspired and to be creative. This is one reason why we do so many activities in this class that are designed to open the right brain.

The Spontaneous Brain

If your right brain has been under used, you will have trouble being spontaneous. You will find it weird or strange to make things up, as those things challenge, or in some cases threaten the left brain dominance over your personality. The truth is the smartest brains are the ones that cross-over continually, using both left and right in a balanced manner. If you strengthen your right brain, you will do better at all your left brain functions. One of the reasons that Asian children do so well in math is because they also learn music and art in school, whereas in the west, we don’t pay as much attention to the child’s whole brain.

The Right Brain is Fun!

Allowing yourself more access to your right brain immediately brings up the “fun quotient” in your life. You can only enjoy yourself if you are willing to allow yourself to get into your senses (sight, sound, taste, touch, intuition and perception.) Children under the age of six or seven (if they haven’t been traumatized) spend most of their time playing and with their right brains turned on fully. This is why they are able to learn so much in such a short period of time. As you regain access to your right brain, you will feel happier and naturally more resilient.

Opening the Right Brain

The warm-up exercises we do in class are designed to open the right brain. They encourage speed and spontaneity. If you stop and think about what to say or how to respond, you are not in your right brain, you have moved to your left and logical brain, and you are searching for the right words. In Improvisational comedy, the train moves quickly! There is no time to go looking in the left brain files.

Learning to Trust Your Impulses

Another key principal behind the activities we do in class is to encourage you to jump right in – to trust your FIRST impulse and not edit yourself or judge yourself. Judging is a left brain function. It is the enemy of freedom in improvisation. (Read the Stable Data lesson). The more you trust your impulses and don’t stifle your creativity, the more expressive you will become. You know what to do! You just need to get out of your own way and allow your right brain to lead.

Just Have Fun!

The Act Resilient class is challenging because we are making new circuits and re-wiring the brain to function at a higher, more focused and faster level. Be gentle with yourself! It takes a little time. But if you just focus on having fun you’ll get there that much faster.

Overview of Creativity and Right Brain