Practice Out Loud & In Public

Can public practice and immediate feedback elevate your craft?

In pursuing mastery in the difference only you can make, the journey is as important as the destination.

The process is both the shortcut and the reward.

Practicing your craft out loud and in public is a force multiplier, providing outside results on your investment of time, attention, and effort.

How?

A commitment to consistent and frequent public practice provides tight feedback loops, leading to rapid iteration and improvement, but also helps you forge an authentic connection with your ideal audience.

Embracing the Public Stage for Practice: Why It Matters

The traditional approach to perfecting your craft involves hours of solitary practice. While this can be valuable, it's limited in its ability to provide feedback and gauge real-time audience reaction. Stepping out of your comfort zone and practicing in public brings about a range of benefits:

1. Instant Feedback Loops: The public is a great mirror that reflects your strengths and areas for improvement. When you practice in front of an audience, their reactions become your immediate feedback. This real-time feedback loop accelerates your growth by highlighting what works and needs refinement.

2. Adaptation and Iteration: With quick feedback, you can swiftly adapt and iterate your performance. This agile approach allows you to make changes on the fly and witness their impact in real time. This iterative process hones your skills.

3. Building Confidence: Public practice builds resilience and confidence. As you face a variety of reactions and learn to handle unexpected situations, you become better equipped to handle the uncertainties of doing work that matters, which, by definition, is work that might not work.

Connecting Authentically with Your Ideal Audience

One of the most remarkable outcomes of practicing aloud in public is its ability to help you find, connect, and engage with your ideal audience:

1. Vulnerability Public practice compels you to be genuine and vulnerable. Your vulnerability creates a relatable human connection, resonating with your audience on a deeper level.

2. Understanding Your Audience: Being in front of people allows you to gauge their reactions, understand their preferences, and adjust your craft to cater to their needs. Public practice enhances your skills and ensures that your work aligns with what your audience desires.

3. Building a Community: Engaging with your audience during practice fosters a sense of community. You become fellow travelers in a journey of emergence and becoming.

A Final Consideration

Are you considering taking your practice sessions to a public platform? What fears or hesitations have held you back from this approach?

What habits and relationships can help you step into and through these challenges?

Remember, the journey to mastery is an ongoing process, and each small step taken is another step closer to excellence.

Scott Perry, Chief Difference-Maker at Creative on Purpose.

If what you just read resonated, please share it with a friend.