9 Tips for Curing Your Post Show Blues

I don’t know about you, but that period of time after a show closes... you know.... that period of time when it feels sad that's it's ended AND you don't know what’s next... not my favorite. 

You’ve been having the time of your life! You've made new friends, you've been doing the thing you love, feeling in the flow... and then it ends. It’s over.

You stop having a reason to get you out of bed.

That clear sense of purpose becomes fuzzy... there is no more structure, instant community goes away, AND what's even worse.... you finally had gotten comfortable/feeling less nervous on stage- and now you’re scared that will disappear, that the ease you just found will go away forever.

Welcome to your performance hangover.

Everyone talks about opening night.

The rehearsals. The performances.

But hardly anyone talks about what comes after.

That hard, quiet season when the show is over.

It's that emotional crash that can happen after something deeply meaningful comes to an end.

There's often an initial, brief moment of relief ("I can finally catch up on life!"), but then it's followed by an unexpected wave of sadness.

Sound familiar?

For years, I thought something was wrong with me.

Now I understand what's really happening.

Most of us aren't only grieving the show.

We're grieving the version of ourselves that came alive during it.

The version that felt...

creative fulfilled
brave
connected
purposeful
alive

But here's the beautiful part!

That version of you didn't stay behind in the dressing room.

She came home with you.

The confidence you built, the friendships you made, the skills you developed....

Those belong to you now.

The show ended. You didn't.

Your identity as an artist isn't determined by whether you're currently in a show.

You don't stop being a singer because the contract is over.

Your voice is still here. Everything you gained by being a part of that experience is still with you.

Now the invitation is to keep feeding it.

-Maybe that looks like taking a lesson.

-Maybe it's finally recording that song you've wanted to sing.

-Maybe it's getting coffee with a castmate.

-Maybe it's finding your next project, or better yet... creating one yourself.

Whatever it is, don't wait for someone else to hand you permission to keep growing.

You're already the artist you're becoming.

Just keep taking the next small step.

And if you're in one of those quieter seasons right now, I hope you'll be especially gentle with yourself.

The spaces between performances aren't empty at all.

Sometimes they're where we become the artist we'll be in the next one.

 I just released a brand-new episode of The Joyful Singer Podcast all about navigating this!  I share the nine practices that have helped me move through these seasons with more purpose, joy, and resilience. If you're in that in-between space right now, I think this episode will feel like a conversation with someone who truly gets it. It might be the pep talk you need! If you give it a listen, I'd love to hear what resonates most with you.