Staying Composed
Overcoming Anxiety and Self-Doubt Within a Creative Life

"Dale writes candidly about the challenges she's faced and what she found works. Staying Composed is a treasure trove of practical strategies for moving your artistic career forward... I recommend Staying Composed not only for composers, but for performers, writers, and any other creatives. Too many of us harbor fantasies of a short cut to 'making it,' instead of building our own career success, step by step, from where we are right now. Thank you, Dale, for writing this book to help us on the journey." —Angela Myles Beeching, author of Beyond Talent: Creating a Successful Career in MusicAll artists have doubts and anxieties. What are yours? Managing procrastination, anxiety, and creative blocks? Knowing how to trust your work? Dealing with other people? Balancing the need to push through to the end of a work while keeping your health and sanity? Handling rejection . . . and your own success?Dale Trumbore has faced each of these issues, and Staying Composed: Overcoming Anxiety and Self-Doubt Within a Creative Life is her answer. With humor and understanding, Dale breaks down each obstacle to a creative career and presents workable strategies for a long-range, manageable, and meaningful life in the arts.