Humor and the Hurdles: How I Use Laughter to Guide Creative Solutions

I cannot do yoga. Ok. That’s not entirely true. I can do yoga, but not very well. I tend to tip or roll over when attempting a pose. And then I get the giggles. They usually start low, under my breath. But when my yoga looks more like a drunken stupor, the belly laughs emerge. Usually, because my brain is yelling, ‘TIMBER!!!’

Humor runs strong in my family. Reunions–even funerals–are joyous, laughter-filled experiences. We also possess the Irish gift for storytelling. My parents would sit around a nook table with my aunts and uncles and share story after story for hours on end. Even today, I look forward to any opportunity to visit with my 40+ cousins because I know it will be filled with laughter and very warm hugs.

We use humor every day in a variety of ways. As a deflection. For relief. As a pick me up. Even therapeutically: laughing yoga. For me, humor comes naturally. I can’t help but find many things in life comical. It’s been ingrained in me since childhood. And I’ve used humor to help me professionally…which may be surprising for a documentary filmmaker.

Here are a few ways I use it in my professional life:

Meeting Ice Breakers: Meetings, for the most part, suck. We all bring baggage to the conference or Zoom room. Perhaps we’ve had a bad morning. Or we’re focused on another deadline. Or maybe we just don’t want to be there. Humor is an excellent icebreaker. I’ll tell a funny story about my commute or a viral video of otters playing with each other. You can see the tension lift from the room. It works.?

That said, this isn’t the time to try to be a stand-up comedian. Break the ice quickly and move on so you can all leave on time.

Team building: Working as a team is more challenging than you hope it to be. If it wasn’t, the Jets would still have a head coach. You must come together, put egos aside, identify the problem you want to solve, and get to work.

Find something funny to bring you all together. Think about a movie theater before a screening of Deadpool. Everyone is in their own world, talking amongst themselves. After the movie? You’re talking to each other, laughing about the shared experience. (Or is that just me?)

There are team-building exercises that help with this.

Laughter brings people together.

Brainstorming: In show development, we need to generate many program ideas. It may sound easy, but at times, your brain checks out.?

Humor can bring those idle brains back. I once led a brainstorming session on a dry, humorless topic, and we were all stuck. We just couldn’t find a unique take or approach towards the narrative. Do we abandon the idea or find another way? I decided to ask for the most whacked, out-of-this-world twists on the topic. Everyone’s brain woke up. It was a new challenge. Were the ideas appropriate? No, but they did offer insights into a new approach. The humor led to a solution.

Sales: I love movies. And man, oh man, do I quote movie or television lines! I had a business trip with the fabulous Steven Green while at WagTV. We had a great pitch meeting, and Steven said, “Everything is coming up Milhouse!” I started laughing, surprised he would quote The Simpsons. He told me that he had no idea it was a TV reference. He thought it was something Americans said. I guess I mentioned it often.

Using humorous movie or TV lines helps me connect with and be remembered by my clients. It demonstrates that I love the medium I work in. It shows that I am down-to-earth and friendly. And if we find something of common interest–sports, nail polish, John Wilkes Booth/Jake Gyllenhaal–I take that connection and run with it, usually with humor. I bonded with my former colleague, talented distribution expert, and now dear friend Judy Levenson over one movie line, “Scoop of chocolate. Scoop of vanilla. Challenge me.” Lifetime friendship.

Humor is a great way to build connections with people.

It’s warm and sincere when done right, and clients will enjoy collaborating with you.

Recharge: Remember how to use humor to help a team brainstorm from a few paragraphs ago? Do it for yourself. Laughing relaxes you. It releases endorphins that make you feel better. And for me, I am at my most creative when I am relaxed.

Embrace humor for a happier life and to be more creative. Humor, no matter the genre, can provide solutions for everyday issues. Meetings? Laugh. Sales call? Laugh. Brainstorming? My goodness….laugh as much as you can.

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About the Author:?

Shannon Malone-deBenedictis (she/her) is a two-time Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker, creative consultant, speaker, and facilitator. From writing her first play at age 10 to executive producing documentaries for Disney+, Netflix, and others, she's always loved telling stories. Learn more about Shannon’s speaking topics and creative services at padlincreative.com.