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Overcomming Self consciousness

Wed, 9 July 2003, 11:47 am
Walter Plinge12 posts in thread
I'm a pretty shy person and i have diffuculty with overwhelming self consciusness in life but when i'm acting it's gone whether it be as a character or myself.

Anyway I'm after any advice for tackling this problem, its not a good way to go through life , I feel as if i'm watching my self all the time without being in tune to whats around me. The more I act with my immagination the more it goes but it keeps comming back when i stop using it.

Thanks

Re: Overcoming Self consciousness

Fri, 11 July 2003, 09:36 am
One can act without being false to themselves. I think this is the goal here. Soul wants to achieve a social outcome. That's great. Self-confidence is the obstical in the way. God I know that feeling deeply.

I was incredibly self-consious early on. So how was that I have made a career out of teaching and a passionate hobby out of acting? Now it's a struggle to keep me OUT of the spotlight. LOL

Coming back to my original statement, one can "act" in a social environment without being false or unfaithful the themselves or anyone else. The acting in this case is not for performance purposes, but for yourself. As Craig points out, if someone wants to change then they have to push past their comfort zone (play a character) and act out who they would like to be. This, in my opinion, is a workable solution if you (as Leah points out) are faithful to yourself.

If it is simply a matter of, that's the way your are and want to be, then all the pretending in the world will not help you. However, if you feel that self-consiousness and fear are holding back your true potential, then by preparing yourself in the same way as you would before going on stage can, I find, really boost your energy levels.

I guess this is not so much actting as visualising a desired outcome which is exactly what I do in rehearsals and before a show. I am nervous before starting a class and doing a show. If I am not nervous then there is something wrong. I can channel that energy into persuing a goal. Social environments are no different.

So the question is, is this really changing your act or acting to change?

Jeff "Socially Inept" Watkins

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