Performing is a generous act of giving oneself to the world. It also implies an audience that can judge the performer. Fear of judgment can trigger complexes, stage fright, and the risk of the creative act being suppressed. The challenge is to be oneself fully, separate from the audience’s expectation…in short, individuation. Pomès’ belief is that it is impossible to perform without a relationship to the collective unconscious. She will explore the role of the artist as a medium between the immanent and transcendent worlds.    

Anyone interested in exploring this topic in greater depth is invited to explore the Performance Without Fear workshop, the day after this lecture.

Elisabeth Pomès is a bilingual (English and French) psychotherapist and Jungian Analyst in private practice in Toronto and the GTA, Canada. Since 1998, she has been counseling and helping people in various issues affecting their well-being. For a number of years, she focused on the demands made on performing artists, and created workshops and classes entitled Performance Without Fear, to help artists who experienced creative blocks, and, at times, debilitating stage fright. Learn more at her website: www.elisabethpomes.com

Ballerina by AJ.iitm (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons