You know, it’s funny that you mention that! Because it’s been quite a long time since I’ve had a good list of things I need to do, but have just been too frightened to (which is not to say, they are not out there... somewhere!)! Ha!

I used to always want to go play and sing at open mics with my guitar. However, not knowing how (or lacking the experience of), to sing into a make gave me some pause, as it would be “learning on the fly,” so-to-speak!! I know some people use their home setups (and not necessarily PA’s), for “practice,” but I don’t have that kind of equipment... best advice I could give on stepping out on stage in front of people (or strangers), would be to just prepare your best, and then just go do it, and be happy with, or live with the results—whatever they may be!

And having read a ton of first hand accounts and examples on various guitar forums of people’s first time experiences with “open mics,” everything ranging from seasoned pros, who are used to performing in bands, or those who just picked up their first acoustic guitar last month... is that nearly every last one of them was terrible from the start. And that, like with a lot of things I suppose), there is kind of a “learning curve!” Involved—& in your situation, if it is just about getting over that hump, or hurdle - the road block, so to speak: then it may be best just to do it for the sake of being able to say you’ve done ✅ so!

you know, I used to always hate the sound of my own voice growing up when hearing it on answering machines. It sounded so differently from the one I was hearing when I spoke in my head. And I’m wondering if it isn’t quite possible that that would’ve be the same, or similar experience here. . . I will say that with modern day technology, this does not exist, in say posting videos on say YouTube or Instagram. They seem to sound just fine, and very similar to me playing live (or in my living room). Also, amongst performers who do this sort of a thing for a living—it is said that those, or they are two separate skills; performing on stage, and being good or proficient in the studio - as I’m sure you’d probably imagine!).
Lastly..

you can bare with me - b/c I know you are not still reading—unless you’ve just said, “flip it!!’ & skipper to the end— ?

maybe I should erase that first and last page break?!

i have ALWAYS wanted to learn how to more professionally record my self playing and singing my guitar 🎸 via the means available today with modern technology.
For instance, for the first time this past winter, I bought a used microphone. But since I didn’t have a fully functioning computer (spilled some nail polish remover which fried the keyboard, after trying to super glue my broken glasses back together; didn’t realize just how “fast-setting,” it was... & I don’t think I have to tell you how inexperienced i was with the nail polish remover - there is still a small white blotch, or stain, on my wooden dining room table!). This made it incredibly difficult to use software required, as well as the digital audio interface requiring to process such things or effects (or maybe I’ve stated that somewhat backwards, I don’t honestly even know as I didn’t get very far; tried to take a “short cut,” of sort investing in the relatively more inexpensive setup for an iPhone & that was to say the least, a disaster given my lack of technical savvy...

unless I got a bum, ‘mic!’ Unless “very good,” condition dictated ... “comes with automatic incredibly loud click track that is ten times louder than normal on at all times: whether you want it to be - or not!). Ha! ;^)