Christina Barandun - First Aid for the Artist's Soul

Our common long-term goals in theatre should be to improve the institutional conditions, to boost the self-efficacy of individuals, and strengthen communication and conflict-resolution skills in order to create a step-by-step framework in which creativity can unfold to its full potential. We should develop a working structure that actually serves art – theatre as an art forge, in which the “what” is mirrored in the “how” – theatre as a creatively operational work of art in itself.

This book offers ideas about what we, as individuals working in theatre, can contribute to digging out entrenched structures and transforming them into creativity-fostering working conditions. A system as complex as the theatre industry can only be changed with small, active steps, so our individual contributions are incredibly valuable – the more among us who opt to embark on this journey, the greater our power will be. And as an eternal truth puts it so well: Every journey begins with a first step.

In this book, I will give you background information, suggestions and pragmatic tips for how you can take care of yourself in your everyday artistic life, how you can optimise your workplace with your own efforts, and how you might find a new attitude towards your work. The aim is to give the artistic creativity within us a protected space; a space in which we can abandon our fears, vanities, uncertainties, our shying away from conflicts or our combativeness (and other problems when dealing with others), and give free rein again to our inner creative capacity.

In the first chapter, I address the issue of “theatre as a workplace”, and describe where there is valuable potential to make it creative and nourishing for the artist. In order to develop this potential, there is a need for self-efficacy, which is described in the second chapter; the knowledge that often far more depends on us than we think. And in order to support self-efficacy, the next four chapters contain further information, pragmatic tips, advice and exercises about how to make a demanding, communication-packed everyday life more relaxed, healthier and ultimately more effective. I’m going to show what creative (brain) potential is still waiting to be exploited by us in order to deal with stress skillfully, along with techniques for stress and conflict management.

In the final chapter, I want to re-examine the idea of genius, and motivate readers to explore the mindset of an artistic craftwork. A holistic mindset that allows the artist to be as creative, comprehensive, moving, touching and spiritual, but does not demand that ‘the fire of the artist quickly consumes itself’ and instead is characterised by the artist continuously working on himself in a healthy way, appreciating the gift of artistic creativity.

Paths to satisfaction

In addition to specific and practical exercises in Chapters 4, 5and 6, a summary of tips and advice is included at the end of each chapter. At this point, I’d like to point out that you do not need to try and implement all the exercises and suggestions at once – it won’t work and might only demotivate you!

This leads us on to my first tip: Let your interests guide you. Start with just one exercise from the book and see what changes. Experience teaches us that from the first step there will come a logical second step. Since all things are connected, a positive change in one area will automatically impact all others.

A final note: Ostensibly I’m dealing with “performing artists” and their “art”, so the specific examples I use may not be directly applicable to the equally important technical and administrative fields. But of one thing I’m certain: All employees of an enterprise in the cultural sector are artists. All belong to a large, special community that creates art and makes art happen; all deserve appreciation and recognition in equal measure. As such, these areas not explicitly mentioned will still benefit from the tips and exercises in this book

I wish you much joy on your personal journey of discovery!

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1 For reasons of readability, the male form is mainly used in the book; the female form is always also addressed (note of the editor).

2 “Agility is the ability of teams and organisations to act in an uncertain, changing and dynamic environment with resilience and flexibility and speed. To this end, agility uses various methods that make it easier for people to behave in such a way.” Svenja Hofert: Agiler führen: Einfache Maßnahmen für bessere Teamarbeit, mehr Leistung und höhere Kreativität , Wiesbaden: Springer Gabler, 2016; Kindle version, Kindle positions 687–689. In addition, I would like to point to the exciting book by Frederic Laloux: Reinventing organisations (Munich: Franz Vahlen Verlag, 2015), which is about new forms of organisation.

Let’s first take a look at the full extent of artistic work behind the scenes, and the challenges we’re confronted with on ‘the other side of the portal’ day after day. Looking at the theatre as a working environment can help us determine with greater accuracy where there is potential for change, and for the design of a healthy and creative workplace.

In the theatre, artists are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. They’re sandwiched between a creative, sensitive work task and the often gruelling working conditions. As the image below shows, an artist must be sensitive and, at the same time, have a “thick skin”; in other words, he must be both sensitive as an artist and strong as a person. It works, no doubt of it. However, a “thick skin” – which in its positive version I interpret as grounded in self-confidence, easygoing poise, a high level of empathy, appreciative, polite conduct with others and sound capacity to deal with conflict – is often less strongly developed than excessive sensitivity.

As the communication expert Friedemann Schulz von Thun describes 1 any virtue or quality that is fostered in a one-sided way will turn into a devalued exaggeration if the twin virtue balancing it is not correspondingly fostered.

For artists, this means: If only sensitivity and self-centred delicateness is fostered, a volatile, egocentric lump of emotions will emerge. Conversely, an artist whose skin is too thick will make a rigid, inflexible, uniform and colourless impression, and move the audience little on an emotional level, like an artistic steam roller.

These two twin virtues of the artist – “sensitivity” and “strength as a person” – must be developed in tandem. Since the former is the main focus of the artist’s training, the other side, the “strength as a person”, is our subject.

Dilemma of the artist

What is the work task of the artist, and what challenges does it entail? The greatest challenge an actor is exposed to is the fact that he is his own work tool; not a work of art made from stone, steel or wood stands on the stage, but a human being with charisma, a personality, a body and a psyche. The character he plays is represented by his own self, so it is hardly surprising that the private personality flows into the role. Experiences from private life are commonly employed on the stage as raw working material.