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GET MORE LAUGHTER IN YOUR LIFE!
David Granirer - North America's Psychotherapist/Stand-Up Comic
Volume 2, Issue 5
Editor: David Granirer, david@psychocomic.com
Publisher: David Granirer
www.psychocomic.com

Please help us grow by forwarding this e-zine on to others!

IN THIS ISSUE
1. Welcome From The Publisher
2. Creativity And Humor
3. What's Good Stories
4. An Opportunity To Help
5. Classified Ads
6. Contact Information

PRIVACY STATEMENT: WE WILL NOT DISTRIBUTE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO ANYONE. PERIOD. 

1. WELCOME FROM THE PUBLISHER
 

****Come Have A Laugh!*****

My stand-up comedy shows start again on January 12 at Cafe Madeleine, 3763 West 10th Ave., Vancouver. Clean, intelligent comedy in a smoke-free environment, Fridays at 8:00 p.m. Reservations recommended (604) 224-5558. Bring in this newsletter and buy one entree, get second for 50% off. Opening the show are students from my Langara College Stand-Up Comedy Clinic Course.

****Comedy Course****

If you1ve ever had a dream to do comedy, my 8-week Stand-Up Comedy Clinic Course at Langara College starts on the evenings of Feb 13 and 14 (I'm running 2 sections this term). To register call Langara at 323-5322, course #104101. To see testimonials from people who have taken the course go to www.psychocomic.com/ComedyCourse.htm

Apology: I've been in the process of changing servers, so I apologize to anyone who1s tried to access my web site and hasn't been able to. Everything is now up and running.
 
 

2. CREATIVITY AND HUMOR
by David Granirer © 2001

My three-year-old son and I were at the park attempting to play with
a small football. Jonathan was driving me crazy because he wasnít 
playing by the conventional rules. He kept changing the football into 
different things. First it was a dinosaur egg, then a spaceship, then a 
meteor, a lizard, a train, etc. And for each incarnation the football 
went through, there were different rules to the game. When it was a 
dinosaur egg, we had to find it a nest. When it turned into a spaceship 
we had to get in and go to another planet.

After 15 minutes of frustration I caught myself and realized that 
this was an expression of some high level out-of-the-box thinking, 
the kind of brain power that organizations pay big bucks for. 
And only when I was able to put aside my one-dimensional paradigm 
that a football is just a football was I able to fully grasp the brilliance 
of this kind of play. 

As Iíve stated many times, my definition of humor is "Acts involving 
surprise that create good feelings."  In other words, doing something 
unpredictable that is fun and feels good, which is exactly what Jonathan 
was doing. And being in this place of non-linear thought stimulates our
 creative abilities. 

Research backs this up. A study by Cornell University found that 
people who had just seen a funny movie increased their "creative
flexibility" and were better able to find creative solutions to puzzling 
problems than those who had not seen the film.

One way I like to define creativity is "The ability to see possibilities 
in a situation that are not apparent to the rational mind." So in order 
to be creative you literally have to be out of your mind, which is exactly 
what happens when you laugh and play.

To apply this even more specifically, I would say that we are at our most 
creative when we approach problems as play. So hereís a tip. The next 
time you have a problem, make it into a game. Letís say youíre swamped 
by work and deadlines. Pretend that all the things you have to do are 
objects. Which object would represent which task? Imagine yourself 
juggling those objects and how youíd do that. Which ones would be 
heavy? Which ones would be light? Hot? Cold? Which ones would 
you have to put down or give to someone else? If you threw a light 
object into the air, how long would it hang there allowing you to 
concentrate on the others? Playing this game can lead you to all 
sorts  of possibilities in terms of prioritizing, delegating, and multitasking.

Hereís another example. The other day I had to make a minor repair 
to our dryer. Now Iím pathetic when it comes to doing anything 
mechanical. So I turned it into a game where I pretended to be a 
Maytag repairman. Just playing with this other persona gave me lots 
of different ideas as to how to approach the repair job. Since for me, 
adopting the guise of a Maytag repairman is an irrational thing to do, 
it was a great way to get out of my thinking box. Too bad I ruined
the dryer, but at least I did it in a creative way!

And these are just some examples of how to use humor and play to 
stimulate creativity. Let me know what games you play to stimulate 
creativity by email at david@psychocomic.com and Iíll send you a free 
copy of my tape "Iím OK But YOU Need Professional Help!"
 

For other free articles about laughter go to www.psychocomic.com/Articles.htm

For free back issues of this ezine go to www.psychocomic.com/Newsletter.htm

*****GET MORE LAUGHTER IN YOUR LIFE!*****
Check out David's tapes, posters, buttons at www.psychocomic.com/Products.htm
 

3. WHAT'S GOOD STORIES

It's so easy to see all the bad things around us, that sometimes we forget about all the great things that go on. And we need to hear about good things because that gives us hope and inspires us to go out and do more good things.

In this section, I want to hear from you. What's happened in your life that's good? What things have people done that inspire you to be kind to others? What funny things have happened?

Email your short stories to me at david@psychocomic.com, and if I publish yours, you get a free copy of my tape "I'm OK But YOU Need Professional Help!"

Patricia Morgan of Calgary AB submitted this monthís story. Patricia 
is a therapist, a speaker, and together with her daughter wrote the book 
"Love Her As She Is," the story of their journey together. Patricia can 
be reached at morganmp@cadvision.com

In my parenting classes, The Lighter Side of Parenting, I ask parents 
to tell the "naughtiest" thing they did as children or teens. Some of the 
stories I have heard include:

In revenge one little girl dared her friend to put her tongue on a school 
post in -25 degree weather. It was an exciting day with an ambulance 
for the school children.

One male teen feeling jealous that his neighbour friend received a 
convertible for his 16th birthday, when no one was looking, zipped 
down his pants and sprayed the seats of that magnificent vehicle.

One little girl in revenge towards her older sister hacked her hair off 
when she was asleep.

One young person pretended he was dead lying on the snow below an 
open 3rd story high school classroom. His classmates helped pull the 
prank on an eventually panic stricken teacher.

These people are all now responsible and caring adults and parents. We 
laugh and have a good time as they tell their stories. We talk about the 
energy and creativity of those days. Then I challenge them to have the 
same light hearted attitude about the adventures of their own children, 
a couple days, weeks, or months after the logical consequence is completed. 
Telling our children what events are now laughable make take away 
years of shame. Maybe one day we won't need therapists. Let's learn 
from our own and children's mistakes and laugh at the ones that make 
good stories.
 

4. AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP

The Vancouver Crisis Center needs volunteers.

If you want to help people while learning crisis intervention and listening skills call them at (604) 872-1811 or go to www.crisiscentre.bc.ca. They're a fabulous organization with great people and lots of support for the volunteers. Of course I'm biased since I worked there for about 14 years and am co-facilitating their January training group.

If anyone has a good cause they'd like to promote please email me at david@psychocomic.com
 

5. CLASSIFIED ADS

Speakers: Learn how to incorporate stand-up comedy into your presentations. Check out David's stand-up comedy skills coaching for presenters at: www.psychocomic.com/ComedyCourse.htm
 

6. CONTACT INFORMATION

David Granirer gives laughter in the workplace presentations helping hundreds of organizations throughout North America reduce stress, increase wellness, and cope with change. For more information on his presentations, stand-up comedy, products, and articles call (604) 205-9242 or go to www.psychocomic.com

Special thanks to www.e-zinez.com

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