Monster Baby #103 You Contain Multitudes (Considering Identity)

Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and Improvisation

“We Contain Multitudes”–image courtesy of Whiskey Monday on Flickr

Who are you?

Answering that question well may require more angles than we usually think of. After starting with a delightful new game (“Clanging”, introduced by Dion Flynn and Josh Radnor) (2:25), Ted and Lisa consider some of the primary lessons about identity from the world of mindfulness, including the Buddhist notion of non-self (14:06). The pair mention how identities can change from time to time (22:49) and Ted shares a potent image from meditation teacher Gregory Kramer (26:34). Lisa mentions that her sense of self has shifted as her priorities have changed (31:33) and Ted offers a few more poetic notions of this thing we call “self” (35:55). Together, they explore parallels between Walt Whitman’s “I contain multitudes” idea and Family Systems Therapy’s model of different parts—who gets the “keys to the car,” who “conducts the orchestra,” and so on (37:51). Lisa mentions how improvisation gives us the chance to step out of typical roles we play and explore unfamiliar parts of ourselves (42:57) and Ted introduces the typical conversation starter “What do you do?” as an identity question (50:55). Lisa offers a simple tip for forging new identities (think improv’s New Choice!) (55:31) and then adds a few more thoughts on identity and social media in this episode’s extended Outro (1:02:42).

As always, thanks for listening in and we wish you the best for happy holidays and a joyful end to 2022. If you’re inspired by what you hear and you’d like to let us know about it, please send a note to Ted and Lisa at [e-mail].

Want to learn more about Clanging? Check out a short video of Dion Flynn and Josh Radnor explaining the game’s origin and demonstrating its wildly delightful possibility: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-dM3SnZdfE.

For a longer example (that starts the exercise around 6:00), check out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQUboED5G8Q

To subscribe so you receive immediate notice of future Monster Baby releases, head over to: http://monsterbabypodcast.com.

If you’d like a bit of last minute Monster-Baby-inspired holiday shopping, visit www.playfulmindfulness.info to pick up a copy of Ted’s book Playful Mindfulness: a joyful journey to everyday confidence, calm, and connection. (Ted will surely sign it for you if you like!)

Lisa Rowland and Ted DesMaisons

San Francisco improvisors Ted DesMaisons and Lisa Rowland explore the beautiful, surprising and unruly intersections between mindfulness and improvisation as they seek to befriend that oft-hidden and sometimes scary part of all of us that can lead to a life well-lived.

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