Tuesday musings...
It's spring - time to clear out, dig out, and air out!
What about YOU? What do you need to DO what you want to DO?
Time for a self-business meeting. Go take yourself to a coffee shop or tea room with your laptop, iPad or a good old fashioned notebook and pen and begin to take stock of your spring.
We all work differently. We all work things out differently. This is simply an idea or template that you can perhaps adjust to how you process and work through you details.
Looking too far ahead is exhausting, frightening and unsure. So don't. Why not start from the largest block of time you can. Why not start with a 3 month plan?
The 3 month plan should include two main columns: business AND craft.
Do you know what you need? Preparation is needed on EVERY level, and if someone has actually told you what's holding you back, then you simply have to DO that. If you are a dancer who is told "if you sang better you'd get the callback or the job" then why aren't you studying voice? If you are a singer and there's something about your voice that isn't developed enough, or if your audition book is lacking then DO it.
So - what do you want to DO?
What do you NEED to do?
How do you prepare yourself to do the necessities? Yes it takes guts, work, discipline, practice, sacrifice and focus and commitment. Are you ready for that?
So, figure out what you NEED to do.
Make a list of what you want: to perform - fine, where/what level?
to have better technique - great, what specifically could you work toward in a 3 month period?
to build an audition book - fabulous, how can you integrate that into your technical work?
to get into better physical shape - wonderful! what is it that you can do daily?
to audition more - what are you suited for? RIGHT NOW?? Are you being seen? Are you trying to be seen? Do you know how to be seen?
Is your technique solid? If not, you should be studying.
If your audition book ready at the drop of a hat? Could you sing ANYTHING in it in an hour? If not, you need to work with your coach to have it ready.
Do you have what is required in that audition book? If you don't, you aren't ready. You need to have what you NEED in order to DO it. Get with a coach.
If your technique is not solid, or building, then it will limit what you could sing. Take away the limitations and open up the possibilities.
Are you healthy physically? emotionally? what else can you do to make sure you are centered and strong?
How can you create more performance opportunities for yourself?
What classes can you explore to get you closer to the ability to do what you want to do?
Is your 3 month plan goal larger than what you can accomplish in that time or what you are ready for? Then change it! Make it accessible! Make it YOURS!
Your plan has to be do-able and yours.
What is available to you in this 3 month period? What is not? What is realistic? What is not?
Time to get busy - and make your life work for you, or it simply goes by. Dream? absolutely! But dreams only become reality through hard work and focus. The difference between real dreams and delusional dreams is whether you act on them fully or not. The more you act upon pursuing a dream, the more real your life becomes. Perhaps the dream will morph as your reality reveals itself.
The craft and the business begin to parallel because to truly be a working artist, you need both. Craft is never completed. Study is ongoing in one form or another. The beauty of a 3 month plan is that it can be fluid and the focus can shift when necessary. Do you need more coaching time or more voice discovery time? Do you need both? How can you share? Do you need classes or seminars in the business of show? They are out there! Find them! Do you need a career consultation to have your goals assessed? This exists. You can even find seminars to help you FIND a business and craft plan!! However, it's up to you. No teacher, coach, class or seminar is going to chase you down - you have to decide to do it.
Are you going to figure out what your voice will do in one lesson? No. Are you going to build a new audition book in one session? No. Are you going get everything sung in and ready for auditions dramatically and musically in a week? No.
Sit with yourself and discover what you want, what you need, what you dream and what you can realize. It isn't going to all happen in 3 months. That's okay. What CAN you do in 3 months? What can you give yourself permission to discover, explore and realize in 3 months?
Spring is the perfect time to clear out and find out! Open your daytimer and make a business date with yourself. Don't wait - do it now.
What do I want to do?
What could I achieve in a 3 month umbrella?
What is POSSIBLE realistically?
What is required of me to achieve this?
Is it asking too much? how do I reshape it to make it do-able in this 3 month umbrella?
You can do it. You simply have to commit to yourself and follow through.
It's spring - time to clear out, dig out, and air out!
What about YOU? What do you need to DO what you want to DO?
Time for a self-business meeting. Go take yourself to a coffee shop or tea room with your laptop, iPad or a good old fashioned notebook and pen and begin to take stock of your spring.
We all work differently. We all work things out differently. This is simply an idea or template that you can perhaps adjust to how you process and work through you details.
Looking too far ahead is exhausting, frightening and unsure. So don't. Why not start from the largest block of time you can. Why not start with a 3 month plan?
The 3 month plan should include two main columns: business AND craft.
Do you know what you need? Preparation is needed on EVERY level, and if someone has actually told you what's holding you back, then you simply have to DO that. If you are a dancer who is told "if you sang better you'd get the callback or the job" then why aren't you studying voice? If you are a singer and there's something about your voice that isn't developed enough, or if your audition book is lacking then DO it.
So - what do you want to DO?
What do you NEED to do?
How do you prepare yourself to do the necessities? Yes it takes guts, work, discipline, practice, sacrifice and focus and commitment. Are you ready for that?
So, figure out what you NEED to do.
Make a list of what you want: to perform - fine, where/what level?
to have better technique - great, what specifically could you work toward in a 3 month period?
to build an audition book - fabulous, how can you integrate that into your technical work?
to get into better physical shape - wonderful! what is it that you can do daily?
to audition more - what are you suited for? RIGHT NOW?? Are you being seen? Are you trying to be seen? Do you know how to be seen?
Is your technique solid? If not, you should be studying.
If your audition book ready at the drop of a hat? Could you sing ANYTHING in it in an hour? If not, you need to work with your coach to have it ready.
Do you have what is required in that audition book? If you don't, you aren't ready. You need to have what you NEED in order to DO it. Get with a coach.
If your technique is not solid, or building, then it will limit what you could sing. Take away the limitations and open up the possibilities.
Are you healthy physically? emotionally? what else can you do to make sure you are centered and strong?
How can you create more performance opportunities for yourself?
What classes can you explore to get you closer to the ability to do what you want to do?
Is your 3 month plan goal larger than what you can accomplish in that time or what you are ready for? Then change it! Make it accessible! Make it YOURS!
Your plan has to be do-able and yours.
What is available to you in this 3 month period? What is not? What is realistic? What is not?
Time to get busy - and make your life work for you, or it simply goes by. Dream? absolutely! But dreams only become reality through hard work and focus. The difference between real dreams and delusional dreams is whether you act on them fully or not. The more you act upon pursuing a dream, the more real your life becomes. Perhaps the dream will morph as your reality reveals itself.
The craft and the business begin to parallel because to truly be a working artist, you need both. Craft is never completed. Study is ongoing in one form or another. The beauty of a 3 month plan is that it can be fluid and the focus can shift when necessary. Do you need more coaching time or more voice discovery time? Do you need both? How can you share? Do you need classes or seminars in the business of show? They are out there! Find them! Do you need a career consultation to have your goals assessed? This exists. You can even find seminars to help you FIND a business and craft plan!! However, it's up to you. No teacher, coach, class or seminar is going to chase you down - you have to decide to do it.
Are you going to figure out what your voice will do in one lesson? No. Are you going to build a new audition book in one session? No. Are you going get everything sung in and ready for auditions dramatically and musically in a week? No.
Sit with yourself and discover what you want, what you need, what you dream and what you can realize. It isn't going to all happen in 3 months. That's okay. What CAN you do in 3 months? What can you give yourself permission to discover, explore and realize in 3 months?
Spring is the perfect time to clear out and find out! Open your daytimer and make a business date with yourself. Don't wait - do it now.
What do I want to do?
What could I achieve in a 3 month umbrella?
What is POSSIBLE realistically?
What is required of me to achieve this?
Is it asking too much? how do I reshape it to make it do-able in this 3 month umbrella?
You can do it. You simply have to commit to yourself and follow through.
Thanks for this! Just the kick up the arse I needed :-) x x x
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