Serving Your Way Out of Stage Fright

People often ask me how to connect with an audience.

And people often ask what to do about stage fright.

They believe that once they get over their stage fright they’ll then be able to take the step of connecting with their audience.

But here’s the thing: most of the time it works the other way around. If you learn to connect with your audience, then your stage fright will be reduced.

Here’s what worked to reduce my performance anxiety:

1. I switched from worrying about how I was doing as an artist to how members of the audience were doing as human beings, with all their anxieties, their hopes, dreams, and desires for deep and authentic connection with others.
2. Instead of asking each person out there to love me, I asked myself to love each person, especially the guy with the stone face.
3. I stopped believing I needed my audience more than they needed me. Now I believe they need me just as much, and sometimes more.
4. I figured out when to be the star of my show and when to be the servant of my audience.

If you’re thinking this list is four different ways of looking at the same strategy, you’d be right.

Over to You
Typically here is where I provide an exercise or action for you to take. However, Sandra Zimmer has an impressive series of short videos with exercises about stage fright that I encourage you to check out. And Sandra’s ten helpful hints are worth a read.

Let’s Talk
Please write to me with your questions or your performing tips and comments.

Related Stuff
An excellent essay that backs up my experience of serving the audience to end stage fright.

Finale
The more you are motivated by love, the more fearless and free your action will be.