Getting out of your comfort zone
This post is the first in a series from what I will call “Marketing Mondays” where I’ll discuss an aspect of marketing in relation to artists or non-profit arts organizations.
We get so averse to busting out of what’s normal when it comes to marketing our products and services. We tend to stick to what’s worked in the past instead of trying new things.
Sometimes, we just get lazy.
I wonder if the fear of trying something new is a fear of failing and the likelihood of embarrassing ourselves in front of peers, customers, members or supporters? Who doesn’t remember embarrassing moments in their past?
Me and my band in 1985. See, I can laugh at myself.
Having once been a singer/songwriter and performer, I learned some valuable lessons about trying new things and sticking my neck out. First, I learned that to grow as an artist, I had to try new things. When I stopped doing that (and I did), it was time to exit that career.
Second, I learned that I could trust myself on stage which freed me to be more expressive. Usually this worked but sometimes it didn’t—I failed, fell flat on my face. After a while, though, I knew that it was still better to go out on limb than stay safe even if I got hurt occasionally.
Writing this blog is a bit like risking things on stage when I was a performer. It feels uncomfortable and scary at first, but “so what” I say. I’m really doing this blog because it’s challenging and fun even if it is out of my comfort zone. People may laugh at me. Oh well.
If you aren’t doing anything they may laugh at or that you may fail at, maybe it’s time to step off the stage and put the guitar in its case, find a new job, step down from the board, get out of the way for those who want to do something new. Close the curtain and go home.
It’s much more fun to try new things.
What are you or your organization doing that people may laugh at?
Deciding to blog daily for January has taken me out of my comfort zone. As a trained writer, I always feel my writing has to be PEFECT, that I’m held to higher standard than a casual blogger. These daily postings have to be done quickly during my new baby’s naps, so I can’t double-check everything. I have to risk bad posts, spelling mistakes, and saying things I might regret.
Ta Da!
See I wrote PEFECT instead of PERFECT;)
Harriet: that’s very funny about the “PEFECT” typo. That says it all though. We get so hung up on perfection but we needn’t given that we’re human with little digits that make mistakes.
I’ve often found the best thing to happen are mistakes. They show that we’re human.
John, I love the photo…it made my Monday morning back-to-work day a little lighter and I have a perma-smile.
I’m all for out of my comfort zone…life is short. Love what you do or do what you love is my motto for 2010.
Sher
Sheryl: I like that you get out of your comfort zone. It’s made new things happen in the lives of many people. Keep it up, you rebel, you!
What is the org doing that people may laugh at? I want to say just about everything! Our organization, Poetry Gabriola, runs an annual festival, and we created an event called Buskers Galore! that was all about spontaneous public performance. Poets in the realtors office, supermarket, liquor store, gas station, etc. It was a riot, and definitely out of the comfort zone for some of the performers – and most of the hosts! Lot’s of funny juxtapositions (my partner performing One Meatball in the butcher shop, for example). We found the second year it didn’t have the same impact because people knew what to expect. So we stopped it. Also had an event called Alphabet Soup that featured poets reading in an outdoor hot tub. Great success and lots of laughs for the first two years (some poets wore evening wear), then a loss of impact as it became familiar. So we stopped that one too. We’ve had Readings In Bed (in Bill Richardson’s hotel room), Fledglings: Poetry For The Birds, Poetry For The Dogs, and more than one streaker (not planned!). I find it keeps audience interested if you hint that something risky or funny or outrageous might happen – but the trick is that you have to deliver, and it has to be bigger and weirder than they expect, without being a turnoff. It’s also good to keep in mind that a joke is really only funny the first time you hear it.
Thanks for your blog, John!
Hilary
I’m going to write a book, and I declared so on Facebook. Heaven help me!
Hillary: I loved your stories on what you’ve tried at Poetry Gabriola. You’ve definitely stepped out but it’s interesting that you’ve found that you can’t just keep repeating the same thing over and over. That’s always the challenge. It’s so easy to keep repeating and then wonder why something that used to work, doesn’t. Goodness knows, we seem to do that in our personal lives sometimes as well.
Allison: WRITING A BOOK. Holy schmoly. That’s very exciting. Can you share what its topic is yet or is that still top secret?