It reminded me of the power of trusting the process.

Actors talk a lot about the process. 🗣️

Performance is by its nature full of jeopardy and totally unpredictable. That can give anyone the heebie-jeebies. 😬

But if live performance can feel out of control, the process by which you get there is not. And that’s why actors know it matters.

What I’ve learned over the years is that what’s important is to lean into the process, even when you feel the dread.

If you can feel the dread and lean into the process (and avoid head in the sand wing it mode) you set yourself up for success. 🏆

My drama school teacher said I had no process, and when I asked him what he meant, he said “the process by which you get better.” It was harsh at the time yet observant. 🧐

Everyone has a different process – the trick is to find what works for you. I learned a lot from that harsh feedback, and I’ve been honing my process ever since.

For me personally process works like this;

• Get the brief from the client.
• Set up a notes file to start to pull ideas together.
• Arrange a call with someone to run through ideas.
• Start to create a timeline and deck – it’s messy but it gets you started.
• Run a rough rehearsal and record it – listen.
• Pull the timeline together.
• Finalise the deck.
• Rehearse and record a tighter version.
• Listen back.
• Mind map it all onto one page.
• Final run through.
• Find calm and a quiet mind.
•  Go!

I have to admit that this process often feels pretty nerve wracking, as you can see from a couple of slightly pensive Santa Monica pics (I admit it’s not a bad place to be feeling pensive.)

Even close to the performance itself, you can feel like you’re not ready.
That’s normal – you never feel ready enough.
But what you can trust is the process.

And what I really enjoyed this time was that though the process was hard work, it worked.

I got to the performance feeling quiet in mind, light, excited and ready.

As Shakespeare reminds us in Hamlet “the readiness is all”

Find your process and dial up the joy in speaking even if you have to push through daunting first!

As all writers will tell you – the first drafts are always messy… 📄

Speak soon,
Caroline. x