Preparation time - what an eye opener

I felt it was needed to perform my work to as many audiences as I could find willing. Having been a bit of a closet writer I have not shared shared my work openly in such a way.

To be directly in front of an audience, and to watch their faces as you share your work gives you a direct connection and feedback. I have had people: crying, smiling, enjoying and thinking about my thought-provoking words.

It has been such an eye-opener, what I have to say has suddenly come to life and those that have heard my work, have been changed in some way by my words. The feedback has been so varied and so personal. I now realise criticism in the past for work I have done could well have been someone's opinion rather than a direct reflection on how good my work was. I have had some wonderful feedback in the past but I tended to forget that in favour of the less positive.

The good thing is, I haven't had negative feedback with regard to my performance work for this festival. But I am beginning to understand that writing is not there to be liked but to be stimulating, invoking, emotionally engaging, in whatever way it comes out.

I would like to thank the festival organisers for this amazing platform that gets people like me out of the closet so that I can be heard,

Thank you

Emma