How do ya all unwind after a telling, both when you feel positive about your performance and when you don't?

Rivka
Simply Extraordinary Tales

For me, the best way for me to turn off my inner editor/critic mind, which kicks in as soon as I get offstage, is to listen to someone else tell stories. If I can focus on listening, and fill my mind with the images from someone else's stories, then that helps me unwind. That's one of the best features of storytelling events with multiple tellers... always more stories to hear.

_________________
Tim E
http://www.storyteller.net/tellers/tereneta
http://www.myspace.com/storiesbytim
http://storytelling.blogspot.com
http://storytellersunplugged.wordpress.com

Unwind???? We're supposed to UNWIND????? Oh dear!

I'm a shameful ham. I really am. I love the energy I get when I see the crowd REALLY following the story -- eyes focused tightly on you, leaning forward slightly, intent on the story, and I come off the stage all charged up and even more ready to take on new stories and new projects!

I lead a very quiet lifestyle, so the adrenaline rush from being in front of an audience is an important mechanism for me. Soon enough I'll be back in my comfortable quiet routine, but for the moment when the "YES!!!" hits me and I'm in the limelight and all is going as I want it to, the energy that flows through me is priceless and I really don't want it going away.

_________________
I wonder what sort of tale we've fallen into.
~J. R. R. Tolkien
LOTR

I've learned to not spend time immediately listening to myself. I mentally review the "aha" moments I have heard from an audience. They are always there.

From my Blog:

"It is time for my New Year's Resolution. It started when I noticed that there was something that I missed in the recordings and when I listened, I heard it happen in each and every recording, too. I was so busy StoryTelling with a capital "S" that I missed the moments of wonder.

There is a sound that audience members make, or even the whole audience makes, when at the end of a story they "get it." It may sound like, "ohh" or even a tongue click and a slight gasp or exhale of air. It could be that little smile out the side of the face along with a surprised "gerrr" sound. It may be in the sound of child literally saying, "I get it." It is in these moments that we are connecting our stories to our audience. I call these the "a-ha" moments in telling. You probably know these sounds, too."

_________________
K. Sean Buvala
http://www.seantells.com
http://www.fulltimestorytelling.com
http://www.storytellingproducts.com

Ok, so after the adrenline rush, after the tellers stop telling, then what? After you're driving home, or cleaning up after organizing the event, how do you unwind?

If I have a long drive, I often eat. Not such a great idea. Sometimes I'll talk about the telling, which is great if there's other tellers around, my family tolerates it, my dog often enjoys my unwinding, (long walks). Occasionally, I'll get started on a new story, but that is best done if I'm not driving in heavy traffic.

Rivka

I enjoy the high as long as I can. I love that feeling of connection with an audience, knowing that we journeyed together. But then on the trip home, I think. And I sing. I sing a lot because it's a rare, rare day that eny gig is closer than 100 miles from home.

I also seem to ne hyper-aware of my surroundings. I see things I might have missed otherwise, beutiful things, surprising things, thought-filled things. When I get home, I write about the telling, the trip, my thoughts, what I saw. That captures the essence of the telling and every time I read what I have written, I experience the day all over again.

If I'm driving, then I sing. Sometimes folk songs, sometimes classical music, sometimes showtunes. If it's a really long drive, I'll surf through the radio stations.

If I'm not driving, then give me a nice little glass of wine!

best,
Leanne

_________________
Leanne Johnson, Storyteller
http://www.storytelling.org/Leanne
http://www.myspace.com/leannetells (story samples, blog, online calendar)

OK, but what about when a performance doesn't go well? Then how do we unwind or recoup from the experience?

We've talked about good performance highs, but what about the others?

Yesterday, for example. It wasn't a bad performance. BUT--I've done this gig for 6 years. Every past year, the organizer provided a sound system. Every past year I've brought mine, but used hers because it was already set up. This year I didn't bring mine, and she didn't bring hers! (I knew that would happen!).

So it was a tough telling. It worked, but it was HARD work. How did I unwind? Because I tend to not worry about things I can't change, i just did the best I could, acknowledged that it was the best I could do in the circumstance and didn't fret about it.

I am a very low-blood-pressure person. But for someone more high-strung, would this have been a terrible experience?

Granny Sue

What do I do after a show doesn't go so well?

More wine, of course!

Seriously, that's difficult. If I'm driving, I talk to myself, trying to critique what happened, what went wrong, what steps could I have taken to make things better. I try to be honest - was it me? was it the audience? was it the venue? More important, I brainstorm what I could do, faced with similar circumstances in the future. I might find a soothing radio station for white noise. I might call a friend, if I'm not in heavy traffic. If I'm still bummed when I get home, I email my coaching group. It's so good to have a safe place to "dump" my sorrows.

And if all else fails, there's always chocolate.

best,
Leanne

_________________
Leanne Johnson, Storyteller
http://www.storytelling.org/Leanne
http://www.myspace.com/leannetells (story samples, blog, online calendar)

I eat chocolate for my health, not my mood. Maybe it's a science thing.

For me, a good night's sleep makes the shower a good place to process the difficult performances and turn self-criticism into positive critique.

_________________
Tim E
http://www.storyteller.net/tellers/tereneta
http://www.myspace.com/storiesbytim
http://storytelling.blogspot.com
http://storytellersunplugged.wordpress.com

[quote="Tim E"]I eat chocolate for my health, not my mood. Maybe it's a science thing.

men and chocolate, what a waste of chocolate.

Yes, wine cures a lot of ills. I'm not much on chocolate, but music helps.

I guess I mostly unwind in the car.

If it felt right, I put on some music, sing and yes, even car dance along.

If it felt somehow off, I think about that until I decide it's time to distract myself. Then I do the above, perhaps a bit less energetically.

My, "in the car alone time", is precious to me on many levels.

Stellar

_________________
Lisa Hicks, The Stellar Storyteller

http://lisahicksstoryteller.bravehost.com/index.html
http://www.myspace.com/lisahicksstoryteller
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=791655159