When I was a mime in Paris, I remember thinking, “If only there was a way to get more people interested in this art form.” The problem is that most people don’t understand what a mime does or the thought and effort that goes into it.
To help you make the most of your mime career, I’ve put together 5 Reasons Your Street Mime Artistry Isn’t Working:
1. You haven’t trained.
2. You aren’t finding the right makeup for your skin tone/type.
3. You aren’t dressing correctly for the audience & environment.
4. You aren’t connecting with your audience – they don’t know who you are or why they should care about you and your work!
5. You aren’t performing often enough!
If you’re a street mime artist, you may feel like you’re trapped in a glass box that people can see but not hear.
I want to help you break free from the struggle and pain of being a street mime artist and find your voice.
Below are 5 reasons why your street mime artistry isn’t working and what you can do about it:
1. You don’t have enough customers. This is the number one reason why most street mime artists fail.
2. You haven’t found your niche yet. If you’re new to street mime artistry, it can be hard to know where to start when there are so many options available for this type of work.
3. You don’t have the right tools or skillset for success as an entrepreneur and professional performer.
4. You haven’t mastered the art of storytelling through miming well enough yet.
5. You need more practice and experience before going into business on your own or collaborating with other performers in order to build up your client base more effectively over time.”
If you’re a street mime artist, you know that this is the most challenging form of art. It requires constant practice to get your body language and facial expressions just right and good communication skills to get your audience to understand what you’re trying to communicate.
But even if you’re totally in it for the performance and love doing specific acts without getting paid, there are times when you’ve got to make a living too, right?
But sometimes, no matter how much you practice your street mime artistry, you can’t seem to get an audience to gather around you or donate money.
So why is that? And what are some things that all street mime artists should know about their audiences?
Here are five reasons your street mime artistry might not be working.
User engagement is crucial for any street mime artist. If you aren’t getting the results you desire from your posts, then chances are you are not engaging with your users. Here are a few reasons why your street mime artistry isn’t working.
1. You Have No Following
The most obvious reason why your street mime artistry isn’t working is that you have no following. When you post, who sees it? Probably nobody except for yourself and maybe a few family members or friends who have been promised free tickets to your next show in exchange for their likes and comments.
If you don’t have a following, then the first step is to build one.
2. Your Posts Are Too Salesy
If all of your posts are aimed at selling your next show, then people are going to get turned off pretty quickly by them. They can see through the fact that you want them to go see your show, and they will stop paying attention because they know that this is all you ever talk about on social media. You don’t want to be a used car salesman here; people hate those guys because they know exactly what it is they want from them: their money!
3. You Don
1. You’re not in the right place.
There are certain areas where people tend to gravitate towards street mimes, like Times Square or Fisherman’s Wharf. However, there are plenty of places that are not conducive to street mime artistry, such as malls and theme parks. Unless you have a sponsor, or are doing a specific performance at these locations, you should avoid them.
2. You’re not in the right position.
Standing up straight on the corner with your hands behind your back isn’t going to get you many tips. Try squatting down and putting your hands together in front of you, as if you were waiting for someone to tie your shoelaces. If you have a hat or a bucket for tips, place it directly in front of you at this point so people can see it as they walk by.
3. Your face is off-putting.
If your face is too expressive or too stoic, it can be off-putting to people who are just walking by and don’t know how else to process what they’re seeing from you. If your face tends to be on the more expressive side, try using a mask; if
1. You’re not putting on a good show
One of the hardest parts about being a street mime artist is putting on a good show for people. You want to be noticed, but only for the right reasons. No one wants to see a sad mime because no one wants to feel bad when they’re walking down the street. Other than that, you also want to put on an entertaining performance and make sure that you are getting your audience involved in some way.
2. The lack of human interaction
In this day and age, people have started to become more closed off towards other people. They avoid meeting new people and interacting with them as much as possible. While it may sound like it should be easy for someone who doesn’t speak to interact with others, it is actually harder than you think. People don’t like getting close to others and don’t like getting involved in things that will require them to be close or touching another person or animal for any reason other than sex or caring for their child/animals.
3. Your clothes aren’t memorable enough
One of the most important parts of being a mime is having clothes that are memorable enough for people to stop and watch you
1. You Just Stand There
2. You Don’t Wear the Right Outfit
3. You’re Not in the Right Location
4. You Forget to Smile
5. You’re Ignoring Your Audience