Liesbeth Smit, Author at Ryan Millar

About Liesbeth Smit

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So far Liesbeth Smit has created 1228 blog entries.

Life and Death at Sea

At last night's Geekeasy, as part of Slapdash, I delivered a lecture entitled "Life & Death at Sea". The topic – adventure, risk and consequences on and in the ocean – genuinely fascinates me. It's also the first time

By Liesbeth Smit|2017-09-14T08:43:39+00:00June 20 2014|

Las Vegas: everything in excess

I've now been to Vegas. And I get why it's so popular: it's wonderful and bright and sleazy; it's the epicenter of hedonism and indulgence. It can be so damn sexy.Fortunately, we played it cool.

By Liesbeth Smit|2017-09-14T08:43:39+00:00June 17 2014|

How can you tell if a washing machine works or not?

Our washing machine stopped working last week. Towards the end of the regular wash cycle it started beeping and an error message flashed on the screen.After draining the machine manually, washing the clothes at the laundromat, and

By Liesbeth Smit|2017-09-14T08:43:39+00:00May 20 2014|

An ideal workday

What would your perfect work day be like? No really. Think about it. Try and imagine a scenario where you would be completely satisfied with your professional life.If you're like me, it's not that easy to

By Liesbeth Smit|2017-09-14T08:43:39+00:00May 9 2014|

Slapdash 2014 is officially coming soon!

Slapdash is coming up in very little time – it's a little more than a month away – and I'm getting stupid excited. The lineup we have this year is ridiculous. I mean really ridiculous. In the sense that

By Liesbeth Smit|2017-09-14T08:43:39+00:00May 8 2014|

The Pomodoro Technique

Friend and boss: the tomato timerOne of the very hardest things about freelancing is time management. Actually, time management has always been an issue no matter what I was doing.Thinking back to my days in

By Liesbeth Smit|2017-09-14T08:43:39+00:00May 7 2014|

To beg, borrow and steal

So basically, you've got three options. "Bad artists copy, great artists steal" Maybe it was Picasso who said the above, or maybe the reality is slightly – and fittingly – less exact than that. But for artists, writers, and

By Liesbeth Smit|2017-09-14T08:43:39+00:00April 25 2014|

The Solo Dining Experience

Deciding where to go for dinner in a strange city is always a crapshoot.Actually, it's not so tough. However, it is tricky when you're by yourself. All of a sudden there are so many metrics

By Liesbeth Smit|2017-09-14T08:43:40+00:00April 24 2014|

The joys of movement

Whenever I picture Amsterdam, it's sunny and I'm on my bike.This scenario (the sunshine part) could be borne out in reality more frequently, but still it's an often-enough occurrence, and certainly pleasant enough, to warrant

By Liesbeth Smit|2017-09-14T08:43:40+00:00April 23 2014|

EU Battled for YOUR Vote

I just did the call, now getting the responseLast week I hosted a freestyle rap battle (which is already a huge thrill), and it was politically-based (which is gratifying), and it was in the European

By Liesbeth Smit|2017-09-14T08:43:40+00:00April 16 2014|

“The skills I learned from those two weekends, which were two of the most enjoyable weekends I’ve ever had, have been an invaluable tool I use to this day in my daily life, both at work and in personal interactions.”

Andy, Brussels

“Very inspiring and useful workshop. Picked me up from where I’m at and helped me develop strategies to improve developing scenes and my performance skills.”

Anonymous, Switzerland

“Ryan is an incredible teacher. He took a straggling group of beginners and turned us into a viable company of improvisational actors who regularly perform together – in front of actual, paying, repeat customers.”

Carrie, Brussels

I’ve benefitted immensely from this journey which I would recommend to anyone looking to learn more about themselves in a fun, immersive way.”

Simon, Amsterdam

“Ryan is the most enthusiastic, positive workshop leader I have ever had the pleasure of working with. I’ve been to several of his workshops and after each session I came away with a sense of achievement and feeling that I had learnt something new.”

Chris, London

“Your Taking It Easy session helped me relax more into the truth of a scene and let it grow more organically instead of pushing too hard to make it funny or dramatic. I loved that you were really clear about what you wanted us to get and how the exercises played into the scene work we did later. I really got a lot from one short session.”/fusion_testimonial]
Pedro, Lisbon
“Ryan really made the most out of the workshop. No time-wasting. He gets to the point quickly, in a clear and effective way”

Andrew, Brighton

“Absolutely brilliant! Exceptional work!”

Anonymous, Impro Hotel

“Plenty of energy, enthusiasm, good clear guidance on how to make the scene ‘deliver results’ without killing the improviser… Ryan’s enthusiasm for improv is infectious.” [/testimonial]
Elsa, Lisbon
“I loved loved loved your workshop. I liked the way it was structured and meaningful. Time flew unnoticed. I liked the shortness of the exercises, the surprise and fun, and the fact that you gave me so much to explore. I now can be in an empty prison cell or in a desert island and never feel alone or bored any more. Now I can expand my world.”

James, Brighton

“Ryan seemed to know just what to do to get the best from everyone. I would jump at the opportunity to do another workshop led by him.”

Calum, Brighton

“Ryan is a great teacher, very serious (and very funny!) gives great coaching during scenes! I had a great time studying with him!!”

Alon, Tel Aviv

“I especially enjoyed the clarity in all of what you were doing – I always understood what it was that you were teaching. I never felt lost. That was really awesome.”

Martin, Tampere

“Ryan’s approach to improv is both fun and inspiring. However, Ryan demonstrates that improv goes way deeper than that. It provides valuable lessons on how to communicate and collaborate more effectively. Ryan is a master and I learned a lot.”

Gerry, Brussels

“I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop. I learned how beautiful authenticity is, with such little moments as sharing your breakfast. Being in the moment is so amazing to see and to feel.”

Laura, Amsterdam

“I LOVED the fucking GREAT and positive energies in the workshop. They so got me going. Perhaps the highest moment during this festival was laughing in the workshop (to the dances… :)).”

Ben, Tel Aviv

“Ryan’s improv workshop is incredibly fun but also ruthlessly effective. Participants are taught to drop their inhibitions, let their imagination flow and and embrace the positive attitude at the heart of improv. They are also treated to Ryan’s personal blend of enthusiasm, wit and generosity.”

Jeremy, Brussels