Stage fright can be an incredibly debilitating condition that can keep artists locked away in their own homes, carefully guarding their creative gifts. Then those gifts never see the light of day, and they're never seen by the world.

And stage fright doesn't only inhibit performing artists. If you're not a performer, you can substitute the word performance with any creative situation that really scares you, or puts you in a position of feeling like you have to measure up or get out of your comfort zone.

For some of us, simply facing our art form and giving voice to our creativity is a performance. For others, it might be meeting with an art gallery owner, a submission to a contest, fulfilling a commissioned piece of artwork for a customer or something else that brings up similar fears and self-doubt.

Here are four way to prepare for performance on the stage or otherwise:

PREPARE YOUR BODY

Practice good self-care in the weeks and days leading up to the performance. Get enough sleep, make sure your body has lots of healthy fuel to eat and drink, and keep caffeine, alcohol and nicotine to a minimum.

In the article, "Breathing out Stage Fright," I describe several breathing exercises from the yoga tradition that will help both in preparing for your performance and in the moment itself. You can read it here:

http://www.genuinecoaching.com/articles/breathing-out-stage-fright.html

Here's a bonus yoga exercise, that I learned from the "Easy Does It Yoga" program developed by the American Yoga

http://www.americanyogaassociation.org/contents.html

The Laughing Bicycle: Sitting in a chair, begin by rolling your arms forward as if you were pedaling a bicycle with your hands. Then, get your legs "riding" as well (it will look more like you're walking in place).

Once you're "in motion", watch the clock and laugh out loud for 30 seconds. It will seem like a long time, but keep going!

Laughing (especially when you don't feel like doing it) will do wonders for your physical, emotional and mental state. Your inner organs will get a good massage, your mood will be lifted and your mind will start noticing the funny and positive things around you.

PREPARE YOUR MIND

Speaking of your mind when you're facing an upcoming performance, you might have many fears coming to the surface. These fears can really crowd your head, leaving little room for the "real" you.

Address these fears by noticing what your inner voice is saying to you, and then correct that thinking with an affirmative reminder of a more positive perspective. For example:

"Who do I think I am to stand up here like some kind of big shot, when I feel like a big fraud?" Remind yourself of why you ARE worthy to be out there in the world with your art no one else has your unique combination of skills, experiences and desires, or YOUR unique way of expressing these through your art form.

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