Have you been Gremlin'd?

Hi there,

I was talking recently to a group of young artists when I asked them "what might stop you from focussing on your music career goals?" Amongst many other answers, they said "a loss of confidence". Now this isn't the first time that I have heard this response - it is one that I constantly come across working in the music industry.

Many of my clients come to me with this particular issue and want to know how to work through it. Are you also one of those artists, musicians, artist managers or someone else working in the music industry who find that when you lose your confidence, particular 'physical' things happen? For instance:

• your throat constricts and you can't sing
• your hands get clammy and you can't play your guitar
• You feel paralysed and you can't walk out on stage
• You get a dry mouth and even talking gets to be an issue!
• Your hands shake whilst you're negotiating 'the record deal of the century' for your band

Your loss of confidence can create many different responses on a physical level. But it is another response that I wanted to bring to your attention in this month's newsletter, which you can work through to ultimately stop those physical symptoms above. I am talking about 'the negative little voice in your head'* that plays on your lack or loss of confidence.

Do you recognise the little voice in your head that says things like:

"Who do you think you are, that you think you can become a great singer songwriter?"
"What makes you think that you can ever win a Brit Award for best female singer?"
"YOU'RE NO GOOD!"
"YOU CAN'T DO THIS!"

This voice in your head that speaks so abominably of your musical talents is, in my line of work, referred to as your 'Gremlin' and it can stop you from achieving and fulfilling your music career goals and dreams. So much so that many, many potential artists have been stopped in their tracks because they believed the little negative voice in their head that says you can't sing or play or that you are no good!

Let me tell you a bit more about your gremlin. Its sole purpose is to make you miserable. It plays on your little insecurities about yourself and/or your abilities, just to keep you in the comfort zone. It doesn't like change and therefore comes out to play whenever you are considering any kind of new venture or progress in your music career or life.

The not so good news is, is that it is nearly impossible to completely get rid of your gremlin. BUT (and it is a big positive but), you can do a lot to quieten the voice of the gremlin and keep it under your control. With you being in control of your gremlin you can safely stay focussed, move closer to and achieve your ultimate music career goals - ultimate music career goals? Well that's another newsletter!

So, how can you go about quietening your gremlin?

Here are some tips that used together can really help you:

Tip 1: Listen to your Gremlin. I guess it's a bit strange to ask you to listen to your gremlin, when all you'd like to do is to get rid of it! However, to be able to challenge your gremlin, you need to know what it's saying. So to begin with just start listening more carefully to your thoughts - particularly notice the negative ones -especially if you are feeling anxious or stressed. For instance, you may be going to an audition and want to make a good first impression, but can't decide what to wear - your gremlin will have a field day with that one! Don't get into an internal dialogue with these thoughts - for now, just become aware of them.

Tip 2: Challenge your gremlin. If you hold your gremlin up to scrutiny it usually withers! So how do you challenge your gremlin? By undertaking the following exercise:

Take some time out to think about and write down everything you have ever achieved in your music career to date. For example:

• Received guitar lessons for 3 years
• Performed live to an audience of 1,000 people
• Have written xxx amount of songs

Each one of these examples will have also given you other skills - don't forget to write them down too. E.g. how to construct the lyrics of a song etc.

Your list will no doubt be a long one and even if it is not, you have still provided yourself with a legitimate list of your achievements - all that you need to challenge your gremlin.

Having made your list, you are now ready to fight back. So the next time your notice those negative thoughts you can say to your gremlin - here's the proof that I can perform, sing, play etc. Your gremlin may argue with you and give you counter thoughts around how you can't sing, play etc - but carry on providing it with your evidence - the more you do this the more your gremlin will squirm and wriggle away into the dark corner that it lives in.

Tip 3: Choose to think positively. How is it that many potential artists don't pursue their music careers? Mainly because they choose to believe their gremlins and the negative statements that it spouts. If you hear that you are useless enough times, you will begin to believe what you hear. If you believe you cannot sing and perform - you won't even try - what's the point? - you are useless after all or so your gremlin will have your believe!

You do have a choice in what you believe however and if you feel that you are being 'gremlin'd' then you can take action.

For every negative thought you think, dismiss it instantly and counter balance it with a positive one - positive thoughts work in the same way as negative ones - if you say them enough you begin to believe them - so by working in this way you can at least give yourself a chance to achieve your music career goals.

For example: Your gremlin speaking: "you can't possibly sing that song for your next audition - you know you can't reach that top note!"

New positive thought: "I love that song and I am going to perform it really well at my next audition - I know that it ends on a very high note, so I am going to work really hard with my vocal coach to hit that note perfectly."

Which thought makes you feel good about yourself? Which thought keeps you focussed on your music career goals? Which thought moves you closer to your ultimate music success? Hopefully the latter!

By using the above techniques regularly you will begin to feel more confident in yourself and your abilities, which in turn will help to keep your focus on your music career goals and aspirations and finally enable you to achieve them!

I hope you have found the above tips useful to quieten the voice of your gremlin. If however you need my assistance in dealing with your gremlin, please feel free to email me to set up a free consultation to discuss how your gremlin stops you from focussing and achieving your music career goals.

I am also keen to know what kind of issues you need help dealing with within your music career and life, so that I can address them in my newsletters. If you email me with your issues, I will send you a further tip on how to deal with your gremlin :)

So, Have you been gremlin'd?

* 'The negative voice in your head' is essentially your own negative thoughts, which you may recognise as an internal dialogue going on inside your head and should not to be confused with any medical condition.

Bravura Group
helping you brave the music industry

http://www.bravura-group.com

t: 01246 231 249 / 0845 456 460
e: lindsey@bravura-group.com

---

I work with signed and unsigned artists and personnel working in the Music Industry who want to become more productive, creative and ultimately more successful in their music careers, whilst enjoying a more enriched, fulfilling and balanced personal life.

If you have received this copy of the Bravura newsletter from a friend or colleague and would like to receive future copies, please visit www.bravura-group.com to subscribe. Thank you.