Call them what you will: Mantras, affirmations, beliefs, mottos. I have come to realise that there are three sentences that to me perfectly represent what it takes to be successful in the world of opera, or in any business come to that. These short phrases guide me and ground me when I am in danger of losing my way, or giving up entirely.
Out of the gate, these mottos might seem simple; and they are simple. But stick with me while I break them down and show you how these wonderful tools can help you to achieve whatever success you want in life. So without further ado and beating around the bush, here are my three mantras for (opera) success.
Mantra 1: Be Authentic
Relatively recently, I put up a video recording of me singing on Facebook. I thought about sending it to my teacher in a private message. In the end, I decided not to, because I was worried that it wasn’t good enough (singer insecurity).
Well, of course, my teacher saw the video anyway, it being on Facebook. She contacted me to chat about it shortly after I had posted. Among the feedback I was given, the most poignant critique for me was “It was just so authentic”. It was 100% Josh Spink.”
I now understand that I do my best work when I am being completely true to myself. Of course, we are actors. We are playing other characters, so how can we be ourselves? Well, in my experience, the true acting magic happens when we find a way to channel our own personalities and souls through the various characters we are playing.
On the other hand, some of the worst acting performances I have ever seen are those where the actor is not being true to themselves. In life and in business, we will have more success when we are being authentic.
Mantra 2: Be Positive
This one might seem obvious. However it is what causes some singers to have success, and others to give up.
We are in a gruelling business. There is a lot of rejection, and there are a lot of lows. The successful singers are those that treat failure as a learning and find a way to turn every experience into a positive one.
I really believe that being successful purely comes down to not giving up. If we can put a positive spin on things, we are much more likely to keep going long enough to find our way into that well deserved success.
Mantra 3: Be Your Best
Again, “duh!” I hear you say. But ask yourself: Do I always present my best work in everything I do? Do I ever phone it in?
Now we are human. We all phone things in from time to time. However, I think we would all be surprised at the amount of success we can achieve, just by doing a good job on a consistent basis. This means things like being prepared, well rested, professional, warmed up and on time, etc. etc.
Note: I wrote be your best. I didn’t say be the best. There are always going to be people who are better than us at what we do. That is the beauty (and the pain) of our profession. When we compare ourselves to other people, not only is that a terrible recipe for success, it is also a sure way to get bummed out.
So forget what everyone else is doing, but hold yourself to your highest personal standard. Every time I have a performance or audition, I ask myself “am I happy with how it went? Did I show up and do a good job, for me?” If I can answer yes to those questions, the other outcomes from the performance are just a bonus.
Inevitably though, when we consistently give our best, in due course we find that life provides us with the external success to mirror our own internal triumphs.
So be authentic, be positive, and be your best; and let these affirmations help you towards being happier more successful in all that you do.
Singing and Sauerkraut 