If you’ve ever felt called to doing something artistic or creative, you’ve probably also realized by now that it can be pretty uncomfortable to share that work with other people.
There’s a deep vulnerability that comes with sharing our voices, art, words, acting, performing and other creative expression that can be so unnerving that many people never quite get past the word “Go” and instead sit on the side lines, reluctant to put themselves out there.
- I see it with writers who never quite seem to finish their writing projects or stall when it comes to developing plans to get their work into the world.
- I see it with actors who are terrified of going to auditions and postpone calling their agents until they “feel ready again.”
- I see it with artists who hide their work away in their studios and never make a sale.
I have something to tell you.
This is all driven by fear.
Fear that you aren’t good enough, won’t measure up, don’t have something new to say, that what you say won’t be liked, think you’re being presumptuous to think you deserve a place at the table and more.
How do I know this?
I know because I feel ALL of those things myself. Every single one of them.
The key is to not to let the fear stop you. I like to help you look directly and compassionately at the fears and old wounds that hold you back so you can move forward more comfortably and courageously. Usually those fears aren’t so scary when we nudge them out into the light.
An experiment
If you want to experiment with this, write down a fear that’s swirling around in your head right now (I’ll wait, and yes, I really do want you to write it down in black and white on paper).
Okay, now ask yourself, “Is this true? Do I know this for sure?”
Then ask, “How can I reframe this belief?”
Here’s an example:
- The fear: “My script isn’t good enough.”
- Is it true?: “No, I don’t know that for sure.”
- Reframed: “I’m going to focus on the strengths of my script and do my best to make sure they shine.”