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Dear John

Help! I've got the winter blues.

Question:
Another year nearly over and I've been out of performing work more often than I've been in it. And this year I haven't even got panto to look forward to. Am I the only performer who gets the winter blues?

Answer:
The short answer is no, you're not alone and that probably includes as many of the panto performers as it does the rest of us. The creative temperament tends to extremes, which means many of us begin each year brimful of hope that this is going to be our breakthrough year, which only leads to a greater dip into the doldrums when we find it has gone by a lot faster than we thought, especially given that for many of us, much of it seems to have been spent waiting by the phone. It's precisely around this November time that many of us suddenly catch sight of the calendar and realise how near the end of the year is. As performers we should also be more aware than most of the difference between how things may look and how they actually are. But equally, I don't want to trivialise the very real challenges of this business by offering the kind of chirpy, 'that's showbiz' advice that usually only twists the knife in further. So instead I approached two performers and motivators who have walked their talk on and off stage.

What the experts say:

Julie Payne

Julie Payne was one of the first contributors to our ever useful 'How To' section on The Stage website with her piece on how to be a working singer. The response led to us co-authoring a book on the same subject for A&C Black and - the bit I didn't warn her about until it was too late! - has also led to Julie becoming unofficial agony aunt to singers all over the country over the past five years.

"Although I have always been involved in music and performance, it was actually quite late in my working life that I decided to quit my job as a secretary and go into singing and presenting full time. Do I regret it? Certainly not. I have had a brilliant time over the last decade doing all the stuff that I always dreamed of doing. Has it been easy? Well, any working performer reading this knows the answer to that one.

"The one thing that a 'proper job' forces you to do, whether it is in an office, a shop or in a panto or television soap, is turn up at the right time and get to work whether you feel like it or not. When you're not in that kind of job, it can be very hard to keep motivating yourself. And that goes double for these cold winter months. I would love to have some magical formula I could offer which would help but my way of dealing with the blues is a bit more practical. Firstly, look after yourself - eat well, keep exercising. It's so easy to think 'what's the use?' but that's when the downward cycle can really get a grip. At the moment I'm getting back into TV presenting and that means I have to look my best now, rather than having the 'when they give me the job, I'll fix up to do it' attitude some people have.

"Secondly, don't be afraid to ask for help. It's a lonely enough job being on stage without making it lonelier by struggling offstage all by yourself. I've been fortunate to have supportive friends and family but I know lots of people who don't. I'd remind people in this position that The Samaritans and similar helplines are as happy to listen to showpeople as they are to anyone else."

Rasheed Ogunlaru

Rasheed Ogunlaru is a leading life coach, business coach and motivational speaker. He works with people from all backgrounds but as a former singer, he particularly understands the challenges performers face. He is author of the self-coaching CDs Become Who You Are and Create Your Ideal Life. Rasheed regularly appears in the media, including several appearances on ITN News and makes regular guest appearances on BBC London 94.9FM.

"It's most certainly not too late. The end of the year can be a good time to identify what's worked well and what could be improved. The first thing I'd recommend is to take stock of what has gone well this year and what you have achieved. We often overlook this. It's hugely important to start with your strengths, what's been a success and your good points. Jot the answers down.

"Next, what you've learned from what hasn't gone well. This is real gold dust. When an athlete clips hurdles they use it to get better and to adjust their stride pattern. This is what makes them skilled, confident and successful over time. So it's important that you do the same. Ask yourself how you can learn from and further adjust what you've done well (or tweak what you've not done so well) this year in order to get better, get more of the jobs that you want and become more confident.

"As you're working through this process, write down all of your strengths, qualities, what's most important to you and what you're passionate about in your work, life and career. This is powerful information because when you go after jobs, contacts, gigs and opportunities that you're really passionate about and which most closely match your own values and skills, you're more likely to be confident and successful. All in all, this time of the year is a great time to review, improve and sharpen up your act. Or at least, that's the way you need to start thinking about it so you can use it to boost your success and happiness, rather than as a marker of what hasn't been achieved."

John sums up

I think the common factor in Julie and Rasheed's responses is that, in a business which for all of us has its ups and downs, the sensible approach works a lot better than either the 'unnaturally positive' or 'dramatic despondency' responses. The 'real world' take simply means admitting that we are not going to always feel on top of the world but at the same time, regardless of how we feel at any given time, there are still practical things we can do to keep ourselves moving forward.

* Feedback/queries are welcome to dearjohn@thestage.co.uk

* Julie Payne's How to Be a Working Singer article and contact details are available on The Stage's How To section.

* Rasheed Ogunlaru's website is: www.rasaru.com

* The Samaritans are available 24 hours a day on 0845 790 9090

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