Participate in an open mic night.

“had my first open mic last night (and my first time ever playing publically) and my god i did terrible. i played Fahey's Sunflower River Blues in open C. got there, felt fine. got up on stage when it was my turn, felt fine. tuned up, felt fine. started the song, got about 20 seconds in and thought "i'm staring at my fretboard, i oughta look up at the audience and connect with people." so i looked up and fell apart. just butchered the rest of the song [...] started making errors, and forgetting important pieces of the song. i pushed on through to the end.”

“We arrived at the bar and perched on stools at the back. It was busy. I sipped my drink awkwardly. Then the person opposite said hello and we chatted until the host took to the stage. Everyone applauded and cheered as the poets performed. During breaks, I chatted to others with ease. These were people who lived in the same city as I did. They were sharing their poetry with one another, laughing and joking. I was hooked. It reignited the spark of impromptu nights out that seemed to belong to a past version of me. I remembered how much I loved the shared experience of art. “Watching others perform their poetry, I was inspired to write my own. Standing on the stage two years ago, reading my fledgling poems, I felt buoyed by the community spirit. That open mic showed me the joy of stepping out of my comfort zone. It helped me find myself again. I am beginning to feel that I belong.”