The biggest obstacle for me doing stand-up was stage fright. I tend to get very nervous before any big event. Also, I’m not a huge fan of the spotlight and I do my best not to be the center of attention.
However, for some reason, stand-up has always appealed to me. Sure, I’m an introverted guy with painful shyness, but there’s just something about being on stage that helps me come out of my shell. So how do we get over stage fright? Simple. Just Go For It.
There is no magical cure or strategy to makes stage fright any easier. In, my experience, the best way to conquer the fear is to face it head on.
Stage fright is something that affects a lot of comedians. I’ve read countless stories about how famous comedians have had stage fright or still deal with it even after doing shows for years.
Once you take the stage and experience the adrenaline rush, you’ll realize that stand-up is a pretty rewarding experience even if you bomb. No matter the outcome of the night, you had the guts to take the stage. You had to guts to let your voice be heard. You had the guts to write, perform and follow through on a dream.
And even if it doesn’t go that well, I can pretty much guarantee that there is someone in that audience that wishes they were as brave as you.
So stand proudly, do your act, succeed or fail, and take some pride in the fact that you are chasing the dream when you could be sitting on the sidelines.
Sure stage fright is scary, but what if regret is a whole lot scarier?