Preparing For Performance
by
Linda Dessau
Stage
fright can be an incredibly debilitating condition that can keep
artists locked away in their own homes, carefully guarding their
creative gifts. Then those gifts never see the light of day, and
they're never seen by the world.
And stage fright doesn't only inhibit performing artists. If you're not
a performer, you can substitute the word performance with any creative
situation that really scares you, or puts you in a position of feeling
like you have to measure up or get out of your comfort zone.
For some of us, simply facing our art form and giving voice to our
creativity is a performance. For others, it might be meeting with an
art gallery owner, a submission to a contest, fulfilling a commissioned
piece of artwork for a customer or something else that brings up
similar fears and self-doubt.
Here are four way to prepare for performance - on the stage or
otherwise.
Prepare your body
Practice good self-care in the weeks and days leading up to the
performance. Get enough sleep, make sure your body has lots of healthy
fuel to eat and drink, and keep caffeine, alcohol and nicotine to a
minimum.
In the article, "Breathing
out Stage Fright", I describe several breathing exercises from the
yoga tradition that will help both in preparing for your performance
and in the moment itself.
Here's a bonus yoga exercise, that I learned from the "Easy Does It
Yoga" program developed by the American Yoga Association.
The Laughing Bicycle: Sitting in a chair, begin by rolling your arms
forward as if you were pedaling a bicycle with your hands. Then, get
your legs "riding" as well (it will look more like you're walking in
place).
Once you're "in motion", watch the clock and laugh out loud for 30
seconds. It will seem like a long time, but keep going!
Laughing (especially when you don't feel like doing it) will do wonders
for your physical, emotional and mental state. Your inner organs will
get a good massage, your mood will be lifted and your mind will start
noticing the funny and positive things around you.
Prepare your mind
Speaking of your mind - when you're facing an upcoming performance, you
might have many fears coming to the surface. These fears can really
crowd your head, leaving little room for the "real" you.
Address these fears by noticing what your inner voice is saying to you,
and then correct that thinking with an affirmative reminder of a more
positive perspective. For example:
"Who do I think I am to stand up here like some kind of big shot, when
I feel like a big fraud?"
Remind yourself of why you ARE worthy to be out there in the world with
your art - no one else has your unique combination of skills,
experiences and desires, or YOUR unique way of expressing these through
your art form.
When you express your true self in performance, people are drawn to
that - would you rather watch a technically perfect performance or a
heartfelt and honest expression of someone truly loving what they do?
"This is terrifying; Why am I doing this to myself?"
Why ARE you doing this to yourself? Take a moment to connect with your
bigger goals for your creativity. How is this performance leading you
closer to that?
Aside from dealing with the negative thoughts that pop up, you can help
the positive ones along by practicing purposeful visioning. Imagine
yourself on the stage, delivering a successful performance.
Prepare your material
Fear about an upcoming performance can sometimes lead to paralyzing
inaction; we procrastinate in preparing our material because we somehow
reason that if we don't pay any attention to the performance, it will
go away!
Well, like an ostrich poking its head in the sand, we don't accomplish
much that way, and feeling rushed and unprepared will only increase our
anxiety!
When you notice you're feeling fearful about the upcoming performance,
work through the fear with the suggestions above or with your copy of
"Preparing for Performance: An Everyday Artist Guidebook" (available
February 2006).
THEN, take action and do everything you CAN do to ensure a successful
performance. Action is the quickest way out of anxiety, because when
we're focused on our worries we're thinking about the past or the
future. When we get down to business and take action, it brings us
right back into the present moment. And that's a much nicer place to be.
Prepare your heart
"She thinks I'm terrible. He's so bored he's leaving the room. I'll
never be able to please these people."
Give yourself a rest from the mind reading - there's no way to know
what someone else or thinking or feeling. And it's a good thing! What
if YOUR thoughts were being flashed at the bottom of the stage like
closed captioning?
Instead of focusing on what you imagine people in the audience (or on
stage with you) are thinking about you, focus on what you'd like to
give them with your performance.
Imagine the performance as a way for you to wrap up your most precious
gift - the expression of your creativity - and deliver it from your
heart to the heart of each and every person who's there to receive it.
The best part about this is that now the performance IS NOT ABOUT YOU.
It's about your gift and doing your best to deliver it. It's about
making full use of the gifts you were born with and creating an
experience that other people can take away and cherish.
So, whatever "performance" means to you in your creative life, prepare
your body with good self-care, prepare your mind to let go of fearful
self-doubt, prepare your material so you feel comfortable and
confident, and prepare your heart to give the gift of your creativity.
~ ~ ~
©
Linda Dessau
Linda Dessau, the
Self-Care Coach, helps
artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care
issues. Feel like your creativity is blocked?
Would you
like to receive Linda's newest articles about creativity and self-care
in your Inbox once a month? Subscribe to the Everyday Artist
newsletter.
It's FREE, and it includes the popular e-course "Roadblocks
to Creativity" - visit
her site Genuine
Coaching Services
Also
see her publications :
related
Talent Development Resources pages:
anxiety
anxiety
articles .....
anxiety relief :
products / programs.....
anxiety relief : books
~ ~ ~