cat, image by Annabel P., on Pixabay
Read in front of people? Me?
Maybe you’ve always hated to read out loud and never wanted the teacher
to call on you. Just the idea of getting up in front of people makes your palms
turn into sweatshops and your stomach start doing hip-hop. But sometimes
you’d like to share your poems with others. What to do?
Of course, practice helps. Practice alone, practice in front of your pets
or in front of your collection of teddy bears (been there, done that).
Practice with a friend who’s a good listener, or with your writers group.
A workshop leader once told us that sharing a poem is like giving a gift—
and should be presented like a gift. No need to be ashamed or make excuses.
A gift is something you want to give. And you give it… to someone.
Which brings us to our audience. Those scary, hard-hearted folks just itching
to criticize—no, wait, that’s not right! Some of them are smiling, some seem
actually interested. That one looks distracted, but this one nodded like they
were really listening.
Then how can you tackle the nerves? The Bible says, “perfect love casts out
fear” (from 1 John 4:18.) Please understand, I’m not saying that I love perfectly—
far from it. But I do love, and I try to love, and want my writing to do some good
in this world. So, how can we love an audience?
Personally, I try to say a silent prayer for myself and the audience before giving
a poetry reading. Asking that the Lord would help me to read correctly and to
read well. That He would bless all the people who are there, protect and guide
them, and meet their needs.
I look at individuals, look at their eyes. It helps me to connect with them—and
to remember that they’re people too, with feelings, hopes, concerns. When we
love our audience, it helps us not to be afraid. And when we’re not afraid, we feel
freer, and might even find we’re having fun. So take the risk, then relax and enjoy.
cat on a little couch, image by photosforyou, on Pixabay
May, 2023