I had an amazing time this weekend  at Improv Utopia in Ireland.  Joining over 100 improvisers from all over the world for games, workshops and loads of fun.

An opportunity to meet an improvise with folk from the USA, Ireland and  other countries all in one place. I've been to plenty of improv conventions in America over the last ten with my comedysportz troupe,  and honestly didn't know what to expect from this - but it was every bit as cool as I'd hoped.

We took over Newgrange Lodge just North of  Dublin with some expert teachers including Nick Armstrong, Katy Schutte, and Neil Curran as well as the lovely Craig and Carla Cackowski From L.A.

Watching improv people together in large groups is quite a thing to behold, and probably quite curious to the outside world.  We played 'diamond dance' outside in the blistering sunshine. It's a game about dance moves, but also leadership...but really - dance moves!  I could see the staff of Newgrange Lodge watching us, clearly a little bewildered and  amused by what they were watching.

Each workshop covered a different discipline.  From group work to using emotion, character and selling yourself.  The weekend reaffirmed  my love for improv and how it's a great tool for connecting and building relationships.  Improv Utopia has been running for many years in the US, but this is the first time they have organised a residential outside of the US - and it proved to be a great success.  Big thanks to all the guys who put it together, it felt like being in America without actually being in America.

Sell it! - workshop with Craig Cackowski

Links:

• Improv Utopia Ireland
• Nick Armstrong
• Neil Curran 
• Katy Schutte
• Carla Cackowski
• Craig Cackowski
• Jaime Moyer
• Chris Mead
• Josh Nicols 

About John Cooper

He’s performed in hundreds of theatres around the UK and internationally as part of the CSz Manchester improv troupe. He has delivered workshops on how to use humour  and improv in business, taking part in the BBC2 series ‘The Speaker’ and the BBC New Comedy Awards. John is author of Present Yourself! – An illustrated guide to speaking in public and building confidence.

Choosing to put comedy, illustration and my other disciplines on one website might sound obvious, but it was actually a really tough decision.

The term 'jack of all trades' is a phrase that has bugged me for years.  I know it's negative connotations and consider myself an optimist, but I've always thought I was one. A 'jack of all trades...and master on none'.   My thinking has been perhaps inherited from the  previous generations. The received wisdom that focusing on one career to become an expert over time was the best way forward, and taking an interest in a few different things diluted time, effort and commitment .

Since going freelance as a designer and pro as a comedian I didn't want a design client knowing I did comedy in case they thought I didn't take the work seriously, or a comedy promoter to know that I did graphic design.  I was terrified of not being seen as professional.

Old beliefs are very hard to shake.  I previously had five different websites. One for comedy, one for  design and illustrations, and more recently a podcast and training workshops.  Each of these things had it's own orbit and audience, with rare overlapping exceptions.

The fear of confusing people with 'multi disciplines' and not being able to answer the 'what do you do' question' in less than four sentences was (and still is) a bugbear.  However, I've known for years that diversity and adaptability are key to survive, and something just clicked. Listening to technology podcasts, reading Seth Godin books. Learning more about applied improv in my podcast. Finally something clicked and I've broken my old programming.

So here are 'all my eggs -  in one basket'. Better for me, better for  google SEO and as I'm finding, people who come looking for one thing and find another and spend a bit of time on my website looking around. Isn't the the point of a good website?