And then…
Co-creation is based in the Spirit of Yes And, which means Yes to you And to me. And the spirit of Yes And means, among other things, to Play Along and Create From.
A fun way to play along with others in a co-creative spirit is to use a version of Yes And called And then… Imagine you come home from work and your children say to you, “What’s for dinner mommy?” Instead of the usual response of saying what you are actually cooking, try something a little playful and creative. “Well,” you could say, “I’m going to make a dirt pie. I’m thinking of adding a few sticks to it. What else could we add?”
Your child may then say, “We could add some slugs!” Your other child may then say, “And then we could add some leaves!” And you could then Yes And that by saying, “And then we could add some moss!” And on and on you go, having a good laugh, supporting a co-creative process, and encouraging children to use and express their imagination.
You can play with And then in other areas of your life. Next time your partner asks where you want to go for the evening, say you want to take a trip into space in the new rocket ship you bought. He may not catch on the first time, or at the first moment, but if he is a willing participant you never know where your relationship may travel to!