How the Busker Conquers Stage Fright And Intimidation.

-the busker's inner ON switch.

Today we're going to talk about how to be ready and fearless, out the gate, every time, every work day.

Performing for the first time on the street is very sobering, humbling, and scary.

One can talk like a big shot, but all the BS ends when confronted with the reality of nothing but you, a sidewalk, and the passer-bye.

One will eventually encounter stage-fright and intimidation.

Usually it happens immediately.

It is paralyzing and very self evident, worse yet it is written all over your face.

This negative aura has a negative effect on the passer-bye, they will not want to make eye contact with you, and will want to mind their own business, perhaps even shooting a negative look at you.

This will cause the performer to spiral further into intimidation, depression, and inevitable discouragement.

Worse case scenario, he will even start thinking about getting a day job.

This must be corrected with the busker's Inner Character On Switch.

The On Switch is a skill set, that must be learned, practiced, and mastered.

Even the life long pros still fall prey to intimidation, but when they remember to flick their switch, it is overcome immediately, and they proceed with their career on schedule.

The busker is literally the life of the party out on the public sidewalk.

He's always on.

Like a personality machine-gun, shooting out exciting interesting things to the passer bye. Constantly casting his net and pulling it in to see what he has caught.

But how does he stay on?

How does he stay the life of the party, day after day, good shows or bad shows?

How does he stay the life of the party, when his wife left him, someone died, he's homeless, hangover, or he's just not in the mood to perform?

How does he flip a switch and go to work?

He does this, with the Magician's two most important tools, Belief and Character.

Your Character is the performer.

Your off work self is not a performer, so if you put him on stage, he will not be able to do the job.

In fact, if you listen really close, you can hear him tell you, he doesn't want to do it.

One must stop believing they are the OFF Work Self, and then believe they are the Showman Self.

You need to flick that switch.

You need to mentally leave home at home, with a tangible ritual or method.

Here's mine:

Before I am ready to perform, I take a full minute to envision my Show's Character. I make myself want to be him again, and then let him wash over me before I perform.

When done right I feel the transformation wash over me.

When done wrong, I simply keep doing it with more concentration, until I get the desired result.

Sometimes I forget to do this little ritual, because people are already approaching me, but at some point the Character sneaks in and takes over anyway.

If you let go of yourself, and let your character do the show, you can let him do it, and you can give your Off-Work Self a break to sit back and watch your Character do his job.

Don't confuse your Character Self with your At Home Self.

Your Character is usually buried in a dug-house in your mind, and he's ready to take over for your at home guy, and he is sick of waiting in the dug-house.

Stop forgetting him and let him do what he does best.

If it's too late and you're already spiraling, take a walk, have a coffee, relax, get out of the cloud, and after your feeling better about yourself start thinking about all the good times you had performing, try and fall back in love with your Character.

Really enjoy the vision of your art.

Try and remember some of the jokes in your show that make you laugh.

If you do this, your Character will start to urge you to get back to the pitch, so he can shine through you.

Don't go too far from the pitch or you might just pack it up and go home before you can get your head together.

Something else that should be said, is to just go out there and play.

Play in Character.

Deliver lines to the open air if you have to.

Don't care if anyone is going to watch, commit yourself to spend some hours out there just playing whether a show happens or not.

If you can't get a show together, you can just write it off as practice.

This is where the silent act to music really shines.

People are just like kids, if they see you having a good time they will want to stop and play too.

If not, at least you still had a good time at work.

Oh yeah very important,

When you're done working, don't forget to put your At Home Guy back on, and put your Showman back in the dug-house where he belongs, because that Showman guy just gets on your wife's nerves.

Your Pal Jimmy.

If you got a kick out of this, please help me and the family out with a tip.