How your brain works in improvisation

Everyday improvisation is about being cognizant of those small moments when you’re dealing with something unplanned or unscripted. Navigating your way to work and having conversations are things you do naturally; but once you frame them within the context of improvisation, it may be easier to build on and leverage that kind of creativity, not unlike how musicians get better at improvising during a set the more times they do it.

Many study results showed that when someone is creating something new, parts of the brain associated with self-expression (language and at times, especially while freestyle rapping, parts associated with visual imagery) are highly active. Although there are many areas of the brain that are quiet during improvisation, several key areas are also highly active. Professional jazz musicians and rappers have practiced for so many hours that the techniques and skills they need to perform successfully become almost automatic. 

This expertise is reflected in their brains while they improvise. This feeling of being in the zone is called a flow state. When one is in a flow state, everything starts “clicking” – the activity can begin to feel effortless, and one forgets or does not notice that any time is passing. Flow states do not only happen during music performances. Playing sports or video games, writing, computer programming, painting, and many other activities can lead to flow states. All of these activities require training to gain expertise. Once you have honed a hard-to-master skill, you may perform best when you begin to feel the flow, ie, when the parts of your brain that critique and criticize are muted.



Read more about The Neuroscience of Improvisation at Dana Foundation