Bad days...

[Randomwrath]

Yesterday, I found myself stood in a restaurant, preparing to do a gig for a friend of mine. I was tired, I was sore (five hours of dance is NOT something to be sniffed at), I had just had my first day back at school after the holidays and I wanted to be anywhere but in that room right then. I felt ill. My friend had broken his arm, and therefore passed the gig over to me. I couldn't have turned it down. That moment was the closest I have ever come to killing somebody.

Now this led me to think of something that I haven't really given much attention to before, as I have always had fun doing magic. When I was there, I did not want to be performing magic. Not because I was worried or nervous, but because I had just had a genuinely crap day. We all have them. But how do we expect our audience to enjoy themselves if we are not enjoying ourselves?

When Derren Brown performs, nobody could say that they are anything less than fully involved and enjoying themselves. That's because from the moment he steps onto the stage to the moment he steps off, he is brimming with energy and full of enthusiasm. But supposing his cat had just died. He would have to step onto that stage just the same that night, despite planning to murder the entire audience after the show in sheer anger and frustration. So what does he do? What do you do? How do you make sure the audience doesn't pick up on the fact that you're having an utterly miserable time? I'm not saying that I hate performing magic or anything like it, but I believe it is something that every professional performer will probably face at some point, and I was wondering if anybody could offer suggestions as to how to 'step into a character and leave all your non magical problems behind' for a brief while. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Sorry if I'm babbling, I'm about to fall asleep at the keyboard...

 

[visualartist]

for right now,I must be brief.
If its a performance/gig I have to do whatever the circumstance,I become someone else.
I forget my own personal bullsh!t and became one of the characters that are an extension(another part) of me.

 

[Nikki]

Block it out, don't think about it. Pretend it didn't happen. Do anything you can to make you happy before the gig/performance.


-Nikki

 

[chriswiehl]

your a performer for cryin out loud! leave your problems at the door. leave your attitude outside and all your problems.
fake it till you make it. and just smile and remember you are performing. if your body aches, add it to your routine. make a joke about it or something

 

[ajp500]

Drop your feelings at the door.

 

[ZacEckstein]

for right now,I must be brief.
If its a performance/gig I have to do whatever the circumstance,I become someone else.
I forget my own personal bullsh!t and became one of the characters that are an extension(another part) of me.

Exactly the same here!

 

[Sean_Raf]

I think... When I perform, magic and the sharing of it, is a place where I can forget about the rest of the world and all my problems etc.

I'm not a different person, I don't save face and put on a fake smile or anything, but when I'm performing it's like I can/really do completely forget about whatever's troubling me and just focus on sharing some fun magic.

- Sean

 

[RikAllen]

I don't have this problem. I learned a long (seems like a long) time ago that you feel the way you want to feel.

That is to say, whatever your mind dwells on will affect your entire emotional balance.

If ten things go wrong on a day that only two go right, and every time something else goes wrong you say 'That's the 100th time somethings gone wrong today!!!'

Well, you will be in a bad mood.

If you, instead, look at something positive and dwell on it while hellfire and brimstone fall around you, you'll generally be in a better mood.

The same thing we use to deceive our spectators (their minds) is also how we control ourselves (using our own minds).

Just remember, outside forces don't affect your mood...your brains impulses do. And you should train yourself to trick your brain into thinking you're happy...or at least not miserable.

-Rik

 

[AsherF]

The audience could not care less if your mother died. They are coming to you for a break from the stress of their lives. That is an honor.

As far as comfortability on stage, I would also like to point out Mr. Michael Buble. The singer. The man is an inspiration and a half to me in regards to performing.

 

[cedwards90]

And whatever you do, never use personal issues as an excuse to your audience, they will lose all respect for you instantly.

 

[visualartist]

The audience could not care less if your mother died. .

Well,if my mother died I would cancel any performances.
I wouldnt give a f^ck about my audience then.

 

[AsherF]

well, same here, but slight exaggeration to get a point across.

 

[visualartist]

well, same here, but slight exaggeration to get a point across.

Nah,I get what you meant.
Just an overwhelming example though.haha

 

[JustinWay13]

Okay,
first off, when I have a crappy day magic always cheers me up. It takes my mind off of the crap thats happening at home or with friends or whatever. Secondly, if I was doing a performance and I was having a crappy day, I'd become someone I am not. I know this is bad, but I would make up a personality and go with it. Leave your thoughts back at home and focus on having a good time. If you can't just think of your favorite comedian or magician and think of something funny he/ she has said and keep repeating that to yourself.

Thanks

Justin Way

 

[AsherF]

Nah,I get what you meant.
Just an overwhelming example though.haha

Just the way I am .

Get's me in trouble now and again.

 

[chriswiehl]

well if my mother died, i wouldnt do a show. its kinda a family matter. and i would put that infront of my gig.

 

[DLeerium]

People saying just to forget what happened clearly has not experienced a "bad day" for performance.


Bad days happen to everyone, including the best performers.

A simple exercise for everyone!
-Take a step aside/ go outside and take a few deep breathes and count backwards from 10 to 1. Do this while emptying your mind and don't perform until you are completely relaxed. This should take your mind off matters.

After you are relaxed, you need to get yourself into state. (many self help books will tell you how). These are the steps that work for me.

1) Listen to some music (mp3 player or ipod) that gets me in a good mood
2) Repeat affirmations to myself "I am a good performer", "I am SUPERMAN!"
3) Anchor this feeling to a movement (this is known as anchoring in NLP), so while you are in the good mood, maybe tap your feet and move your body (I am sure you already do this naturally)

Then get out there and perform!
-Don't complain
-Don't winge or say how bad your day was
because honestly your audience wont give a sh*t.

Hopefully this has helped =D

 

[praetoritevong]

It's really interesting, I had a conversation explaining something along these lines to a friend of mine. I work as an actor, so on occasion, it happens that I have a bad day, and then in the evening rock up at the theatre and have to be this elegant, charismatic, graceful guy (Paul from Six Degrees of Separation by John Guare, if anyone's interested). And it's difficult, it's difficult to be anything other than upset. And on the other hand, to have a good day or even a bad one and to rock up and have to be upset for the next few hours (Jimmy from Look Back in Anger by John Osbourne... The last monologue kills me every time... I hated getting into that character but loved when I was actually in it).

Obviously, quick note, if something as serious as a family member passing away does occur, whoever said to cancel the gig would be right - they'd obviously understand. But as far as day to day stuff goes, the idea is to try and wipe your feet at the door - that is to say that anything that comes from outside the theatre (or in this case, magic) stays outside as soon as it gets to crunch time. Forget about your troubles as best you can - consciously allocate for yourself a time, after the show, when you can think and worry and grieve all you like - but each time you remember the bad stuff, remember that you have that time to think about it after the show.

From my experience it's not something you can just "feel" away so to speak - but you can bury it away from your consciousness for a while. Take time to get into the rhythm of things, play with some sleights if you must, go over everything you need to and when you're performing, just try and jump into the moment.

I know I've said a lot of wishy-washy stuff here so I hope you can understand me - this is second nature for me but as such I'm not very good at explaining it. But feel free to respond to it. And I'm genuinely sorry to hear about your day too, man.

 

[visualartist]

People saying just to forget what happened clearly has not experienced a "bad day" for performance.


D

You cant simply make that assumption.
I dont use those calming excercises ever.Ive done them and are very foolish to me. Its easier for me to forget myself.
I just adapt better(and many others as well) to 'bad day' situations than others.

 

[DLeerium]

You cant simply make that assumption.
I dont use those calming excercises ever.Ive done them and are very foolish to me. Its easier for me to forget myself.
I just adapt better(and many others as well) to 'bad day' situations than others.

Then again you can't make that assumption that people can forget problems that easily. Everyone is different so they handle their own problems differently. Those exercises are adapted by many people in industry, as they cannot merely 'Forget' their problems.