Nerves mean you’re doing something important.
If you accept this true statement, then nerves become a friend. No less present, but a reminder that you’re preparing for something you care about. I remind my students of this all the time, because making friends with nerves is an essential part of continuing to make your art. Without the ability to manage nerves, some things just become too difficult.
There’s a corollary to this idea, though. The longer you do your work, the less nerves you experience. And I think that’s because we’re meant to keep growing, to keep leaning into doing things that challenge us. When I don’t feel nerves, I know it’s time to do something harder, or in front of a more discerning audience, or in a way that I’ve never done it before.
Nerves mean I’m doing something important, and a lack of nerves are a sign you’re not stretching yourself enough.