Читать книгу First Aid for the Artist's Soul - Christina Barandun - Страница 22

The work of an artist can be compared to that of a professional athlete: after years of training, they each have a small window in which to deliver a peak mental and physical performance. Theatre fans might even argue that artists have an even tougher job, since they’re judged not only against a physical standard, but also an ineffable artistic ideal.

In spite of this, the subject of mental coaching in the arts hasn’t yet gained much traction. Top-level sports teams have been using psychologists, mental coaches and mindfulness training for many years now, ensuring targets are hit, goals are scored and baskets are made when it matters – in high-pressure, competitive circumstances.

Artists, by contrast, whose ambition is not only to entertain but to do justice to the work, and to encourage social change through education, are often left high and dry. Artists also have to put in their best performance when it matters – when the curtain goes up and the house lights go down; they have to cope with stage fright, use their body in a precise and dynamic way, and sharpen their senses, all while remaining focused and ‘in the moment’. Establishing an awareness of the value and joy of mental coaching for artists can, just as in sport, enhance performance, and engender an approach to performing filled with serenity and ease.