If at any point you feel weird about receiving applause and praise, it’s probably because you’re suspicious—you don’t feel in your heart like you’ve earned it. I’ve seen singer-songwriters burn out, fire their bands and ultimately quit music because of this. When all praise feels hollow, it drains the joy out of performing. Don’t let this happen to you.
When compliments make you feel awkward, look within. Why do you feel undeserving? You gave that audience something they enjoyed. Short of plagiarizing other people’s songs or lip-synching onstage, there’s no way to really defraud an audience. Why then do you feel like a fraud?
- Is it because you didn’t rehearse enough?
- Are you displeased with your current performing skills?
- Have you focused, and studied songwriting enough to feel confident?
- Are you challenged enough by what you’re doing to enjoy it?
- Are you really writing and singing the songs you were born to write?
- Are you neurotic?
Well, you’re not alone. Most of us are a bit neurotic.
All I ask is that you don’t complicate the issue by getting too upset about it. I think you’d be shocked to know how many amazing authors, artists, songwriters, and musicians secretly feel like frauds. The ones that survive are those who can live around it, keep growing, dig deep, and do the work.
photo by comedy_nose
“I think you’d be shocked to know how many amazing authors, artists, songwriters, and musicians secretly feel like frauds.”
this hits the nail on the head.
The times that I’ve played out and have really bared my soul, really gone for it, without a care of what anyone thinks… those times, the praise/applause felt ok. Good, in fact. Unsurprisingly, those have been my best performances, IMO.
But if I’ve done anything less then my absolute best, it feels unjustified. “Hell, I didn’t do anything anyone else couldn’t do…”
What I admire about performers is their ability to pour every bit of themselves into their performance, night after night…
Thanks for your comment, Skip.
You know, the very first time I ever played out, my performance was terrible. It was an open mic with a very supportive and warm audience, and they cheered even though I know that the music wasn’t good.
Nonetheless I felt okay about all of it. I’d done my best, and I was able to respect myself for it.
The tough part I think is having the discipline to go on pushing your own boundaries as an artist night after night after night. To constantly go against the grain of one’s own comfort zones takes guts.