ohva's spare time

Translation from Swedish, thanks to Tapirjeangirl at the Strale Dome.

Question: If you could share an important lesson you’ve learned in life, what would that be? 

Joel: I think it is my big sister…. she’s very good at facing her fears, and I think that’s something that is very important to do,  and keep doing. If there is something you’re afraid of you should challenge yourself and do just that thing that you’re afraid of, and not shy back. Because if there’s anything that makes you evolve and get success in what you do, it’s courage, and the only way to become courageous is to face your fears.

When I went to “stage school”, which is the big theater school in Sweden, I got a total blackout on stage once, I had NO idea what I was supposed to say, and I was in the middle of telling a story and suddenly it was just black. There were lots of people in the audience; teachers, older students…. and I got so incredibly nervous and it was such an unpleasant experience that I felt “I’m never going to stand on a stage again in my life”. And this was in the middle of my education and I had already made the choice that this was what I was going to do with my life… and I also had a very strong stage fright, I felt SO bad before… now there’s motorcycles outside! It’s Hell’s Angels and Bandidos on the streets of Södermalm! Ehm…..I also had an incredible stage fright, every time before I went on stage, I threw up. And when these two things together…. throwing up every time before going on stage, and then while on stage having a blackout, I thought to myself “I can’t keep doing this, this is not a good job for me”.

But I wanted to give myself one last challenge, before I gave up, in a way…. I almost did give up…. and I decided to do a 1½ hour monologue on stage, because I thought that must be the scariest thing I could do, and it was such a huge challenge to myself, and it was SO scary that I think I scared my fear! And I think you have to do that sometimes. Ehm… and it went incredibly well! I didn’t stumble on a single line during the 1½ hours I did the monologue, and after that my stage fright disappeared, I never felt sick before going on stage again, and I haven’t had a blackout since!

And then the challenges that came after that…. My first job after graduation from “stage school”, was to be on stage for 3½ hours, and it felt like nothing! I had been on stage by myself, doing a monologue for 1½ hours! So I think that is my most important advice.  Challenge your fears.