Unless you are conceited and a bit arrogant the chances are that you sometimes doubt yourself. The thought that one day we will be found out and the world will discover we know nothing is a concern for many people. These days you probably know the name for it – imposter syndrome.
I think it begins in childhood. I had a truly dreadful primary school teacher who once a week made us stand on a chair and do mental arithmetic in front of everyone. It wouldn’t happen today but it made me unsure of myself and set me back and nearly put me off maths for life. A lot of people fear speaking in public and understandably so it can be an ordeal for someone unused to speaking to the room.
I think you can see where I’m going with this. I’m going to say that performing gives you the experience of being in a public space and owning it – if you like being in charge of the audience. Surely that would help a young person. I know it works and I know the feeling grows when you are working with others around you.
Most children can do show-and-tell and they don’t struggle with performing. It’s natural to them because they spend much of their time playing if not with others, then in their imagination. The problems come along with the self-consciousness of adolescence. Once you reach the stage of letting your hair cover your face or your sleeves become longer than your arms then you start to worry more than is good for you about what other people think.
That’s the point where what I call the “critic in the head” kicks in. You know the little voice inside that doubts you, “You’ll never be any good. You’re rubbish why are you even bothering with this?” And so on.
It’s only a voice and it can be very persuasive but it’s good to learn that it’s a choice and that you can allow in other voices as well. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You can do this and what’s the worst that can happen? I’m going to do this. Don’t we have permission to fail?” The trick is that if you focus on the job you’re there to do then there isn’t enough space left in your head to fear because you’re too busy.
That positive voice is where we find ourselves. With sympathetic people around you to encourage you through, what you see as failures will build a more resilient person. I love to see this at Theatretrain. You watch a group of dancers or singers take to the stage with confidence. They know what they have to do and believe they can do it. They get their strength from the people around them doing the same and they deliver. Fantastic.
But if you talk to them, they know exactly what I mean when I talk about the critic in the head, they’ve learnt a way of dealing with it and that is surely a big plus in anyone’s life.
