Christina Barandun - First Aid for the Artist's Soul

Photo: © Bettina Fürst-Fastré

Christina Barandun, born in 1974, is a theatre scholar and consultant for organisational and employee development as well as corporate health management in theatres. She lives in Bonn, Germany, and works as a coach for executives and teams. In conjunction with exercises from the Japanese martial arts form Aikido, she also holds workshops on stress management, communication and conflict resolution. ( www.barandun.de)

Christina Barandun

Stress management, communication and conflict resolution in the cultural sector

A Guide

For Yoshi and Daniela – thank you for your ›yes‹.

C. B.

English edition 2021

Original edition

© by Alexander Verlag Berlin 2018

POB 19 18 24, D-14008 Berlin, Germany

www.alexander-verlag.com| info@alexander-verlag.com

All rights reserved.

Proofreading/editing: Christin Heinrichs-Lauer

Translations: Marc Svetov/Jodi Gray

Graphics/layout/cover design: Antje Wewerka

Illustrations: Bettina von Keitz

ISBN 978-3-89581-553-9 (eBook)

Foreword

Introduction: Why endure when you can create?

First Steps Towards a Theatre of the Future

What I’m aiming for with this book

Chapter 1: The Theatre – Lots of Potential for Your Health

The Dilemma of the Artist

The Challenging Work of an Artist

The Myth of the Suffering Artist

Is Artistic Freedom Really Without Boundaries?

The Daily Theatre Madness

Workplace and work organisation

Social structures and relationships

Health Protection as an Opportunity

What is health?

Work protection – to help and support you

When stresses and strains overburden our psyche

A great opportunity for artists

Mental Training for the High-Performance Sport of Art

There is No Such Thing as Impossible!

Chapter 2: The Power of Self-efficacy

Stop Playing the Victim!

The feeling of artistic powerlessness

Between security and artistic recognition

Taking a Stance: The Philosophy of Martial Arts

Budo – the Japanese martial arts philosophy

“It’s up to me how I react”

Assuming Responsibility for Yourself

In the Flow: The Ideal State for Artistic Creation

Be active in creating

The Art of Influence

From powerlessness to self-determination with meaningful goals

What is “good” art?

From paralysing competitiveness to learning and growing

Creating trust

Intrinsic Motivation as the Main Asset of a Theatre

Motivation from within: a precious gift

Feeding the source

Our built-in change engine

Chapter 3: Our Brain and its Creative Potential

Tapping into our unlimited potential

Long-term changes must be holistic

An eternal exchange

Neuroplasticity: changeability throughout life

When stress blocks my potential

The ideal stress level for every task

The built-in biological alarm system

The individual assessment is what counts

For new things to evolve in theatre…

Chapter 4: Methods for Coping with Stress

The art of mindfulness

What is mindfulness?

Recovery methods: How do I “come down” after a stressful situation?

When you are hyped up…

Active physical activities – bodywork for art

The art of taking a break

Passive relaxation methods

Active relaxation methods

Rest – the anchor in everyday life

Healthy diet

Mental training: How do I rate outer and inner stimuli?

The power of thought

Getting to know our inner critics – and reeducating them

Look for the positives while practising healthy realism

Seeing what’s good in theatre

Dare to fail in order to grow – visions of the future

Seeing strengths

Set yourself achievable goals

Acceptance and courage

Don’t take it personally!

Avoid bitching

Mutual support and appreciation

Planning for the future

Personal superstition

Don’t pursue perfectionism – develop your own thing instead

Keep to and set boundaries

What, no suffering? Discover the pleasure of flow

Maintain a sense of humor

Stimulus management: How do I reduce stimuli that trigger stress right from the outset?

The time stress factor

Where has the time gone?

Clear out

Define priorities

Set up a time window

Say no and set limits

Cultivate your social network

Baby steps

Meaning of life instead of longing for love

Chapter 5: Appreciative Communication

What is Communication?

What comes across?

Do I mean what I say? – the right choice of words

The great importance of the emotional level

Cultivate an awareness of “communicative fallibility”

Every point of view is legitimate

The soliloquy

Non-verbal communication

The language of the stage is body language

Power of body language

Basic Techniques of Verbal Communication

The communication bridge: the sender side

The what and the how · Only talk about what’s relevant · Reasons · Transmit and repeat important information · Choosing the right time and place · Give feedback · Inner attitude · Feedback rules · Eye-opener in difficult situations

The communication bridge: the recipient side

The art of listening · Active listening or understanding others · Bear in mind the value of the message · Assume a positive intention · Just say thanks!

The transforming power of appreciation

Every emotion is right to begin with

Who started it?

Let tolerance grow

Seeing what’s good or Why is it so hard to praise?

Assume responsibility for your own actions

Communication as a daily challenge

Chapter 6: Handling conflicts constructively

Conflict as an opportunity

Conflicts built into the structure of the theatre

Conflicts are good

Three steps towards conflict resolution – strategies of self-control

Step 1: Keep Calm

Stable footing · Body alignment and posture · Slow down · Exhale consciously

Step 2: Develop an understanding of the situation

Our constructions of reality · Important signposts: our emotions · Accepting emotions · The power of empathy · Criticism as constructive feedback · Confidently defend your own point of view · Humour · Building trust

Step 3: Finding win-win solutions

What’s most important: Appreciation on a human level · Mustering patience for finding a common path · Being open to new things · Activating creativity · Accepting change as an everyday occurrence