I'm in Phoenix, Arizona, getting ready to put on my one-woman-show, The Punchline at the Phoenix Fringe Festival. It's no simple task being a solo performer. The benefits are that you don't have to compromise your vision with other people who you might work with, and that you can perform as much or as little as you like. The challenges are that, until you are ewell-known (and even then sometimes) you are responsible for your own promotion.
It can be a strange sensation for many artists and performers to promote their work as much as is needed. We often believe our art should speak for itself. Or that it's somehow shameful to "brag" about what we do. For those of you who are not yet famous and have a generally healthy disposition, I suggest you learn to brag about what you do.
Tomorrow I will go out to Phoenixand Scottsdale and promote my show by handing out flyers and talking with people about what I do. I'll do it all week to sell out my five shows. If I find myself with waning enthusiasm, I'll phone a friend to help encourage me.
I often think of my favorite musician to stay inspired. I remind myself that if he hadn't promoted his music, the world wouldn't be such a beautiful place. And I understand that I too must give my gift to the world. Not out of self-serving or indulgence, but out of reverence for the gifts we have been given.
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