BY JESSIE WANG, LEAD WRITER (COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL AWARENESS)
We all know a career in the arts sector can be psychologically taxing. There’s pressure to maintain an unrealistically high standard while meeting tight deadlines. The competitiveness of the industry also means negative self-talk is prevalent.
Despite all this, we’ve heard of performance coaching services for top-performing sportspeople and those in the corporate world — but these services aren’t yet as common to those in the arts sector.
That’s why Cailin Howarth came up with The Performer’s Edge – an online coaching service solely for those in the arts sector. Not only does The Performer’s Edge support artists to improve themselves in order to reach their potential, it’s also there to start conversations about mental health.
Why? Because many of us in the arts sector struggle with mental ill health. And yet, it’s still stigmatised. We chat with Cailin about her journey with The Performer’s Edge so far.
Hi Cailin. Thanks for joining us today. So, to get us started, tell us about The Performer’s Edge. Who is it for?
Hi Jessie and CutCommon, thanks so much for having me! It’s great to be here.
The Performer’s Edge is an online performance coaching service for performing and creative artists. Essentially, I offer a similar service to what a sport psychologist might offer, but for artists and creatives.
I had always wondered why professional sportspeople have specific psychologists to help get them into peak mental shape – and yet, artists were having to face the same challenges alone.
I’m sure a lot of people in the creative industries are required to perform at a high level. What made you decide to start The Performer’s Edge? Was there a personal story?
How funny that you should ask! Because yes, The Performer’s Edge does have a personal story to its inception.
I initially trained as a classical and operatic singer at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, and during my career I experienced my own personal challenges with the psychological pressures of the industry. I experienced things like performance anxiety, overwhelming negative self-talk and imposter syndrome, and really struggled to find anyone who specialised in performance psychology with performing artists.
I felt alone in many of my struggles, and wanted to see positive change in the industry, so I decided to go back and study psychology and be that change.
I agree – I also think there’s such a need for people who specialise in performance psychology with performing artists, but there are so few people who specialise in this area. Why do you think the classical music industry has such a need for performance coaching?
I would answer this question by saying: Why not? We have performance coaching in elite sports and in the business world for high-flying directors and CEOs, so why not in the arts?
The life of a professional classical musician can be extremely stressful and high pressure, so it is not surprising that people experience psychological hardship as a result. If we gave as much focus to building the psychological resilience and stamina of our musicians as we did their technical proficiency, by introducing mental skills training and performance coaching, imagine where we could be!
More performers reaching their full potential + less performers burning out = greater creative output for our world.
Psychological resilience and stamina are indeed important, but this brings to light another problem. What do you say to people who think: “Isn’t psychology just all ‘intuition’, and so I should be able to fix the problems myself?”
Yes, it’s interesting how the mindset of a lot of artists tends to be: ‘I should just be able to deal with these challenges myself’; or: ‘If I tell someone I’m struggling, that might impact my chances of being hired’. Sheesh! How much pressure is that to deal with?! Not even feeling comfortable enough to admit to ourselves – let alone to those in our community – that we might be struggling and need a bit of help.
To those who are feeling that way, I would say: You’re not alone. Almost everyone in our industry is struggling in some way – we just aren’t talking about it in an open and transparent way. Without those authentic conversations around psychological wellbeing in the arts, things will never change and artists will continue to feel alone with their struggles.
It takes courage to admit you’re struggling. But with that courage, there is the opportunity not only to grow yourself, but to inspire someone else who might be struggling to open up.
Cailin, you hit the nail right on the head. While so many of us in the arts sector are struggling with mental ill health, not enough of us talk about it. And by finally talking about it, it might also inspire other people to start having these difficult yet necessary conversations. Can you run us through what a coaching session looks like?
My work is future-focused and strengths-oriented. Unlike a psychologist or counsellor who might help someone work through past traumas in order to live as well as they can in the ‘present’, I see my work as answering the question: ‘What do you need to do right now in order to live your best and most creatively expressed future?’
As performers, we are constantly focused on the things that we aren’t doing well and what we need to improve on. I see an important part of my work being to bring people’s strengths to the forefront of their minds so they can harness those strengths in service of achieving their goals.
Rather than working in individual sessions, I engage in a body of work with a client where firstly we identify what they want to achieve. Then, through the use of detailed psychometric assessment (personality profiling), we identify their strengths and areas for development – and then, we get to work on making those goals their reality.
My work is very much an exercise in becoming more self-aware, and getting really present to our strengths and how to harness them in order to be the best performer or creative we can be.
Since starting The Performer’s Edge, what have been some of your favourite moments?
It’s hard to go past the moments when clients tell me what a difference our work together has made for them and their lives. Knowing that I have had a positive impact on individual artists, their artistic output, and ultimately on the artistic community of the world is something that I genuinely cherish.
My mission in starting The Performer’s Edge was to support creative and performing artists to reach their full artistic potential and in doing so, make a positive impact on the world. So when I hear that I am doing that, it makes me feel incredibly proud.
Also, earlier this year I launched my first group coaching course called Performance Dynamics, and since its inception I have worked with performers from all over the world to overcome some of their biggest challenges, which has just been amazing.
What are you most looking forward to from here onwards?
One of the things I am most looking forward to moving forward from here with The Performer’s Edge is partnering with professional creative training institutions, working with greater numbers of performers, and bringing this work into the mainstream.
I don’t want this type of work to continue being seen as an ‘added extra’. I want the psychological wellbeing and resilience of our artists to be seen as just as important as their technical proficiency, and I will continue my work to that end.
It’s awesome to see that all of your coaching is done online. In that case, has The Performer’s Edge been impacted by the COVID-19 restrictions at all?
I have been incredibly fortunate to continue my work as normal during this time. I work with people from all over the world including England, Estonia, Slovenia, Norway, Germany, Scotland, Switzerland, and of course Australia – and the magic of the internet allows me to continue doing so during this crazy time.
Before you go, is there anything else you’d like to share with the arts community?
In spite of everything that is happening in the world right now with COVID-19, what we as musicians say is more important now than ever. People are turning to us for comfort and guidance at this uncertain time. So even though people can’t come to our gigs, or tell us in person how much what we do means to them, just know that music is an integral part of the world – and that we have the power to change people’s lives through our work.
So keep creating.
Learn more about The Performer’s Edge on the website.
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READ NEXT: Jessie continues these conversations through her interview series Mental health sounds like….
Catch up on her interview with film composer and pianist Jenna Pratt for a candid exploration into health and wellbeing in the arts.
For mental health support, contact your GP or call Lifeline on 131114.
Concert images via Unsplash.
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