Colorers and Advancers

Color/Advance is a popular improvisational theater technique. I have seen it done many ways, but the basic premise is, in partners, one is the director and the other is the storyteller. The director gives the storyteller the tile of the story and the storyteller starts telling a story. The director intervenes frequently, saying either “Color” or “Advance.”  Color means the storyteller it so start adding details - to describe more fully sensory details, thoughts, and feelings – deepening the story.  Advance means action – going forward, moving along with the plot – advancing the story.  In either case, the storyteller adapts the instruction the story in real time, either coloring or advancing, until the director gives the next cue or the story ends. In using Color/Advance as a storytelling techinque, stories become richer, deeper and more inventive.

We all have a colorer and an advancer within ourselves, and every organization has colorers – those who deepen into the everyday experience, indulge details, appreciate the finer nuances of situations, focus on the journey, and advancers – those who focus on end-goals, move forward, stay on target, and forge ahead. In pursuing the gifts each aspect brings - sensory experience and action - you access more of your creative potential and vibrancy in any situation.