As a former professional ballet dancer, I can relate to what many performing artists experience in their daily lives. Whether you’re a dancer, actor, singer, musician, or other creative type, you might embrace the perspective that your art form gives depth, energy, love, and passion to your life and to the world … but it also requires a lot of you.  Self-care is of utmost importance when involved in a performing arts field: nourishing yourself in a mind, body, and soul triad can be just as relevant as (if not more than) giving and showing your talents to the world.  If you don’t take care of yourself, then who will?  Performing artists need support. 

Performers are typically diligent, motivated, and disciplined.  When artists struggle, they might take their trials and tribulations very hard, and very personally.  Internalizing negative feedback from a critic or director can feel earth-shattering, and perfectionistic tendencies might kick in full-force.  A negative inner monologue might impact your emotions and behaviors in uncomfortable ways.  Some performing artists struggle with the pursuit of achieving an idealized version of themselves in their art, a chase that is sometimes fulfilling, rewarding, and motivating … and at other times depressing, blocking, and confusing.  How do you maintain balance in striving to achieve your optimal best?  Goal-setting in this regard can be tempered with setting reasonable expectations, to enhance your drive to keep creating in a way that is healthiest and empowering for you.

Are you struggling with maximizing your talents and passions as an artist?  Are you experiencing difficulty connecting with yourself, your audience, and the world, in a way that feels gratifying?  Do you find that your routine has turned “one note?”  Are you wondering if you’re missing out on other parts of your life?  Are you struggling with internal or external validation?  Are you going on the audition circuit, but are finding it hard to land a gig?  Are you dealing with rejection?  Is injury is getting in your way?

Some common areas that come up in my work with performing artists include:

Performance Anxiety

Body Image Issues

Perfectionism

Stress Management

Coping With Injury

Career Transitions

The lifestyles that performing artists embrace are unique and challenging.  Creating, maintaining, and celebrating a healthy relationship that is on your terms with your art form is something that can be explored in therapy.

Here is one of my articles about the Creative Life, as seen in The Huffington Post.

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