No Limits
Blisterleaf- or Anemone vesicatoria, a dainty plant with the hidden ability to burn with its toxic oil, a skill it uses to protect itself
Don’t limit yourself.
It’s so easy to apologise or make excuses as to why we think we aren’t good enough - but does this help us improve?
I have a rule in my teaching room that we aim never to make negative comments about our voice or our singing as these can make it very difficult for us to achieve our goals. Our negativity holds us back, our apologies begin our session on the back-foot with the suggestion we will fail. The mere suggestion that we are not good enough will infiltrate our ability to achieve, and possibly succeed in areas that are new to us.
How many times have you told people you are doing something but that you aren’t very good? It’s a particularly British thing I’m overly guilty of!
“If I were not able to separate the art from the artists, I think I would limit myself a great deal, and life wouldn’t be nearly as interesting.”
Jessye Norman
In the world of learning, we have to be brave. We have to put ourselves through the experience of admitting we know little, and learn more.
We have to play and experiment without fear of judgement or failure.
This process is done with the aid of books, online research, published papers from experts, film and recordings, and of course, teachers.
A good teacher will be willing you on. They will set you challenges to help you succeed. Some of those challenges will lead you to better ability and understanding, and some will count as experiments that did not work out, maybe just not yet.
In nature - where I often like to take inspiration - plants do not limit themselves. They develop and adapt and try according to their surroundings. They succeed in all sorts of places. Sometimes this might not work, but every so often it will and leads to the development of the plant in a new way.
If you are a gardener you may be familiar with this already - we have all tried to plant something and watched it fail, only to watch nature self-seed and thrive in an area that every textbook tells you should not work! Some of the healthiest plants are the weeds growing in an unlikely place, growing without fear of failure. Their success unaware of the ‘rules’.
We need that experimental and positive attitude when learning to bring about our new skills.
Have you ever been set a new piece by your teacher and found unexpected success?… Hold on to those moments as you continue onwards!
positive
Staying positive
‘Where you tend a rose, my lad, a thistle cannot grow.’
-Frances Hodgson Burnett, ‘The Secret Garden’ -
In life, it is often said we fall in to one of two camps: optimists and pessimists. You probably already know or have an idea which you are! It’s not entirely the whole truth though, as many of us are a little of both, switching between the two.
In the arts we are often very hard on ourselves, and being self-employed we can feel the loneliness of working by ourselves for long stretches between gigs. I’ve heard of one artist describing success from one in ten auditions - so how do we handle the rejection, knock-backs and self-belief if we work in an industry by ourselves. And why should we be positive? There is a romantic fiction that performers are notoriously depressed, sarcastic and negative off stage…
Firstly, and most importantly, being positive is good for us. It not only makes us feel better, it is good for our health overall in many different ways.
The Benefits of having a Positive Mindset:
Increased lifespan
Better stress management
Lower rate of depression
Better cardiovascular health and reduced risk of death from stroke and cardiovascular disease
Greater resistance to illness
Lower levels of distress and pain
Improved creative thinking
Stronger leadership skills
Have I convinced you yet? It’s a fairly conclusive list. These health benefits would make you better at performing as your body would be better at processing stress and recovering after.
Positive emotions actually widen our span of attention and it also changes our perception and focus on more of the “we” instead of the “me”
(Goleman, 2013. p170)
Well that covers the problems performers can have focussing on our own issues instead of thinking about the bigger picture.
So steps could we take to think more positively in our every day life and our life as performers?
Keep a practise diary and look back on past goals to acknowledge your progress. Slow progress is still progress, and is usually longer ingrained.
Visualize success. Not always winning first prize/the part, but singing your best, feeling connected in the performance, engaging with the audience, portraying your character well.
Being grateful. Maybe there are parts of your work that are hard, but do they allow you to work with great colleagues? Can you work from home and reduce travel away from family? Has a job unexpectedly led to another job that you love - maybe that will happen again?
Make plans. Treat your job like a business and do a full plan assessing where you are, and where you want to go. What are the ways you can get yourself to those end goals? Are there some in-between steps you can take to gain experience? Remember to book a six month assessment into your diary to establish what has worked and what you will change.
Remember past successes. How did that make you feel?
Read stories about the heroes in your industry and their journey to success. There are very few stories of instant/easy success, most artists strived and struggled through difficult times, having to find their way through multiple issues.
Exercise and diet. Ensure you are giving your mind and body the fuel it needs. Find someone to help you with these if it keeps you motivated.
Acknowledge your struggles. Being positive isn’t about pretending and living your life as a lie. Be real, but don’t allow that to pull you down and become your only reality. Deal with your sadness, anger, frustration, and move on.
As ever, these things can be talked about with your teacher and incorporated into your practise routine. If you feel your issues run deeper, seek professional help from a professional. Professional help will be a sound investment in your career and life.
If you have any comments or tips on how you stay positive, feel free to comment below.