Some good thoughts on Peacocking --By Wilder

On a recent post to the EBSS list, local workshop teacher Wilder expresses some pretty good thoughts on Peacocking and how it can affect your energy level in set.

Wilder writes:

Tonight is the first time in a while I went out peacocked. I used to do it all the time, then I got in the habit of dressing down for workshops so as not to blow students out, and probably I got a little lazy, so I've been going out looking pretty normal for a while.

I believe you get good results when you have good energy in set. I had a couple off nights lately and I realized that it was because my energy level was just too low. You can run great game in street clothes, no question. I've done it. But low energy in street clothes, for me anyway, doesn't get good results.

Realizing this, I peacocked tonight. I didn't feel high energy; I almost dreaded it as I'd had a long day. But looking the way I did I felt forced to play the role- to have my energy match my look. And it worked. As soon as I walked into El Rio my energy was up. I couldn't look the way I did and be low energy. Something inside me made me rise to the occasion. And that energy is what allowed me to remember how much fun this game can be.

Great night. Just got off the phone with a 20YO HB8 from earlier tonight, now THAT'S going to be fun. Set up a meet w/ a 22-ish HB9 Irish girl for Sunday as well. On top of that I passed up at least 2 opportunities for same night pulls because I was unmotivated (read: spent from this afternoon.)

I guess the lesson is that good, playful, high energy is what gets me results. And I know that for me, peacocking is a way to tap into that energy.

Wilder makes some great points here. I know that when I do bother to peacock, I do feel higher energy than I normally do (and he's 100% right that high energy is important in Pick-Up) . Peacocking has an interesting effect where you do feel like you're "rollplaying" a character that's different from yourself. Sometimes, this can be a great thing because you can often do things that are outside your comfort zone when you are rollplaying because "it's not you."

But peacocking doesn't have to just be clothing. I got a buddy of mine who Peacocks with a fake accent he uses that he based off Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Carribean. When we're out, he'll bust out this absolutely ridiculous accent, and the girls just go gaga for it. And the thing is, it's not really whether the girls respond to it or not, but he BELIEVES they respond to it and proceeds like they do, which is a pretty powerful way to look at things to begin with. =)