Cure for Camera Shyness
Do you run away shrieking in fear from the camera? Or, do you say you’ll take the picture so you don’t have to be in the picture? I’m raising my hand here, I’m guilty! But there is a cure to beat that camera shyness once and for all.
Unfortunately, too many people cling to their camera shyness as an excuse for not taking advantage of video marketing for their business.
I hear this all the time!
Camera shyness is in fact a real thing but it shouldn’t hold you back. One of the biggest things holding entrepreneurs back from incorporating video more into their business marketing. Rest assured, your camera shyness can be beat.
Anna Rowley (Psychologist) and Peter Hurley (Photographer) got together and created this tool called ‘Psyphotology’. They did a TEDx Talk which you can check out here. They have come up with a way to help the camera shy shift their perspective away from judgment and criticism and toward better self-acceptance when we are in front of the camera.
Where does this judgement and criticism come from?
Camera shyness is from a lack of self acceptance (which can show up for entrepreneurs as Imposter Syndrome). From this lack of self acceptance, we develop this anxiety around the camera capturing us. We’re afraid of it capturing a version of ourselves that the negative voice in your head says is not good enough.
You can beat camera and video shyness by shifting your thoughts to self acceptance and your inner truth.
So, here’s how to do it. Think about a turning point in your life — a time when you made a positive decision to do something that could not be undone, and as a result it changed your life. Think about your feelings, what was important to you.
Then, use that turning point to come up with a sentence that allows you to tap into that inner truth. Start the sentence with I AM.
Let me give you an example. I once quit a job I loved to help a friend with a tech start up. So, my statement or mantra could be I am a person who is willing to take risks to chase a dream. I’m a person who’s willing to throw away the secure to chase what they’re passionate about.
Once you have determined your I AM statement, you can use it to fight off camera shyness. Say it before you have to appear on camera to remind yourself of your inner truth.
Use your “I am statement” every time from now on.
And if you’re STILL holding back, try checking out this other video for when you don’t feel like doing videos. Or, book a session with me so we can bust through that confidence block.