Showing Up
In Character
Playing someone else to become more yourself
What if pretending to be someone else turned out to be the most honest thing you’ve ever done on camera?
You make content. But are you in it?
You’ve been making things. You know your format. You know your angle. You show up consistently and you do the work. And somewhere along the way, it started to feel like a smaller version of what you originally had in mind.
You’re not blocked. You’re not burnt out.
You’re just producing the careful version – the one that stays inside what works, what people expect, what doesn’t risk too much.
And the frustrating part is: you know you’re doing it.
This is a 30-day challenge for people who are already creating and suspect there’s a version of themselves they haven’t let near a camera yet.
You build a character – not to hide, but to go further than you usually let yourself go.
One minute of video a day for 30 days. Improvised. No script. No editing. Shared in a private group with people doing the same thing.
What comes out when you stop managing it might surprise you.
And it will be more you – not less.
This is not “fake it till you make it.”
The character isn’t a performance. It’s a way of letting the part of you you’ve been editing out have a turn.
This is not a content strategy challenge. This is what happens when you stop behaving on camera. You already know how to show up, what to say, and how to make something that works. But somewhere between who you are when no one is watching and who appears on screen, you start to hold back – not completely, just enough to stay acceptable, understandable, in control.
This challenge is about crossing that line – not by forcing confidence, not by becoming louder, but by stepping into a character that gives you permission to go further than you usually let yourself go. For 30 days, you show up every day: one minute, no script, no polishing. Just you – slightly disguised, and somehow more honest than before. Because sometimes, pretending to be someone else is the only way to stop hiding.
Key Dates
(3 weeks)
begins
integration
You’re already showing up. But not all the way.
- You’re comfortable on camera, but you’re playing it safe – and you know it.
- You’re creating more for the algorithm than for yourself, and it’s starting to feel stifling.
- There’s a gap between who you are and who shows up on screen.
- You have a point of view you’re underplaying, worried people might misunderstand you or find you arrogant.
- You’re showing only one facet of yourself and the joy of creating has faded.
- You want to stretch beyond your current shape – in a way that doesn’t let you shrink back again.
Eight weeks. Three phases.
Build your character
Three weeks of weekly group calls before the challenge begins. We find your character together – not a mask to hide behind, but a lens that lets you be more free. Anja leads. Joanne names the experience. You arrive on 23 July ready.
The 30-day challenge
One minute of video, every day, shared to your private group. Improvised. In character. No scripts, no editing, no waiting until it’s perfect. Weekly support calls keep you moving. The group keeps you honest.
The integration
One final group call in the week after the challenge ends. What changed? What stayed? What do you take back into your actual content? This is where the work lands.
What actually happened.
The character gave me permission to finally do and say the things I always wanted to say but didn’t have the courage to share. It carries you safely to a more authentic version of you.
I was surprised that the influence the experience had on me was noticeable so early, probably within the first week. By week two I was creating completely different content and picking up old projects I thought I’d left behind.
I only realised while doing it how much I had missed performing, creating a character. It was a jumping-off point for greater things, things I never would have anticipated before.
It was a big stretch, and a lot of fun. I’m still realising how much it impacted me today as I make new choices for my work and for being on camera.
Two people who have done this themselves.
Anja Kersten
Theatre Maker · Performer · Artist · Creative CoachAnja has spent 30 years in theatre, acting, directing, improvising, creating her own shows and leading others through theirs. She didn’t design this challenge from a distance. She did it herself, showed up every day for 30 days, and came out the other side with her performer fully back.
She knows what it is to feel stifled by the pressure of what your content is “supposed” to look like. She knows what it costs to hold back. And she knows, from the inside, that a character doesn’t hide you. It frees you to say the things you’ve always wanted to say.
With her coaching, Anja helps you to reconnect to your creative instinct – and become bolder.
“Giving up on something that makes your heart sing should never be an option.”
Joanne Whitlock
Researcher · Author · Artist · Speaking CoachJoanne has spent 25 years studying speaking, written ten books and taught as a visiting professor for 8 years. She now conducts research on why people hold back when speaking. Joanne knows this subject intimately, because she lived it.
She did this challenge too, struggled to find her character, doubted the whole thing, and then watched something shift. By week two she was creating differently, reaching out to people she’d put off contacting, taking her work more seriously. She started a new channel. She stopped apologising for her expertise.
With her coaching, Joanne helps you name what’s holding you back – to give you something to hold onto.
“I wanted to stretch myself in a way that meant I wouldn’t return to my original shape.”
- 3 weekly prep calls to build your character (July 2-16)
- Private Facebook group for the full 8 weeks
- 4 weekly support calls during the 30-day challenge
- Daily accountability from the group
- Final integration call (week of 24 August)
- Access to bonus content including Anja on masks and freedom
Enrolment opens 22 June
I’m interested – tell me moreLimited to 10-12 participants
“Giving up on something that makes your heart sing should never be an option.”
Anja Kersten
“I wanted to stretch myself in a way that meant I wouldn’t return to my original shape.”
Joanne Whitlock
Limited to 10–12 participants
You won’t return
to your original shape.
That’s the point.