Gijs van Bilsen on Live Action Learning and LARPs

This episode of Experience Points features Gijs van Bilsen, founder of the Live Action Learning Institute, who shares how live-action role-playing (LARP) can transform imagination into a powerful tool for personal and professional growth. Gijs explains how stepping into fictional but recognizable scenarios allows people to safely practice skills like leadership, spontaneity, and confidence. Drawing on examples from corporate trainings and his own life, he introduces the Think, Shape, Feel, Do framework; a method for summoning the version of yourself you most want to embody. Gijs also unpacks the concept of "bleed," where qualities from a played character spill into everyday behavior, offering lasting change. Through practical demonstration and storytelling, he invites listeners to see imagination not as a gift, but as a skill that sparks curiosity, deepens empathy, and drives real-world transformation.

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Get the full transcript and references for this episode here: https://www.universityxp.com/podcast/168

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