Build Your Creative Confidence: How Start Public Speaking in 7 Simple Steps
Most creatives are terrified of public speaking.
I used to be scared too.
The technical term is “glossophobia.”
• You get weak in the knees.
• You stumble over your words.
• You start to lose confidence in yourself.
But what if I told you that public speaking is one of the best ways to improve your confidence and communication skills as a creative?
Ever since I started speaking over a decade ago, I’ve actively participated in dozens of events, webinars, and presentations. That skill has opened many doors for me in my creative life.
Today, I want to share the benefits I’ve found and the first steps I’d take to get started.
In this essay, we’ll discuss:
• Why public speaking matters to the creative process
• The 6 key benefits of public speaking for creative pros
• The 7 steps to start public speaking today
Why Public Speaking Matters to the Creative Process
As an Architect, I often find myself in front of groups of people (peers and strangers alike) proving and justifying my design choices on my projects.
→ Making the art is only half the battle.
→ The other half is convincing someone of its value.
Public speaking is scary because it makes us feel like imposters.
I remember my first days of architecture studio in college. It was exciting and new. But it also made me feel a bit out of my depth.
• On 1-on-1 days, you’d have to present your work to the professor directly.
• On group days, you’d have to present your work in front of everyone—peers, professors, rivals.
Some professors were ruthless.
Friends left the room broken and in tears.
Models that took days to complete were ripped apart (figuratively and literally).
But those who survived the gauntlet became stronger communicators.
• Some were natural speakers.
• Others took time to find their voice.
6 Key Benefits of Public Speaking for Creative Pros
Recently, I was reminded of the benefits of public speaking at my most recent gig — the Mental Health in Architecture Summit. A virtual event themed around mental health awareness.
I walked away rejuvenated after my latest talk on burnout. Great questions to help me iterate. Kind feedback from the audience letting me know I’m on the right track.
But this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Over time, I’ve recognized six benefits specifically that keep me coming back to public speaking.
Benefits:
Meet new friends — By putting yourself out there, you share your vulnerabilities with others. You find people who are interested in the things that interest you. Sometimes those connections follow you long after your talk has concluded.
Increase confidence — Someone who attends a workshop, seminar, or talk is ready and eager to listen to your point of view. Unlike a confrontational studio environment, a supportive audience will help you improve your presentation skills in a “safe space.” It will give you room to build up your confidence and take that skill into tougher situations.
Help others with problems — In my first speaking gig, I had no idea what I was doing. It was a conversation about burnout. Having never given a talk like that before, I just told my story of how I overcame it. That story helped others by making my experience relatable. It made overcoming a problem possible.
Become known for something — As I continued to share my story about burnout, I became known for it. Of all the topics I’ve given presentations on (design, writing, software, licensure) burnout is the one most people associate me with. It lets me share my knowledge with others on a topic I’m passionate about and improve my ability to discuss it.
Help others see something differently — With each new speaking event, I evolve the discussion. I tailor it to the audience I know I’ll be talking to. I’ve spoken to professionals, students, and people outside of architecture entirely. I look for new ways to relate ideas I’ve researched to the discussion. I look for those “ah ha!” moments and amplify them in the next iteration.
Improve your communication or presentation skills — Since I’ve started speaking publicly, I have become a better communicator in team meetings, 1-on-1s, owner meetings, negotiations, and even email correspondence. When you share your ideas in front of an audience through presentations, it forces you to get better, and to get clearer on the way you share ideas. You learn a lot about human psychology and the ways people resonate with information.
7 Steps to Getting Started with Public Speaking
So how do you get started if you’ve never spoken in front of a crowd before? It’s actually easier than you probably think.
If I was starting from scratch, here are the 7 steps I’d follow first.
Identify a topic — The two starting points for finding a topic are to either:
Pick a subject you’re genuinely interested in already
Or think about what questions people ask you about most.
All that matters is that you can and want to talk about the subject.
Sketch out the topic — Before I even create the first slide, I take a blank piece of paper and sketch out:
What the major takeaways will be (no more than 3)
The stories, ideas, or references I think will best support those takeaways
Any miscellaneous notes to myself
Make the presentation — Take your idea and break it into say 20 slides.
Make the slides easy to read (big font), engaging to look at (graphics and photos), and clear to understand (stay on target).
Spend a few hours here and there over a week or so then stop.
You’re ready to present!
Find a venue — To present your talk, you’ll need an audience. If you’re starting from scratch though, you might think you need hundreds of people to experience it. You don’t. Instead, think of your first presentation as “practice only.” It’s not about how many people in the audience there are. It’s about getting out there and doing it. You could even record it and just post it somewhere. Common “stages” for a first presentation:
Your office
At home with friends / family / significant other
At a local organization’s meetup
On social media (YouTube, Instagram)
Present the thing — Don’t worry about perfection. You’re only worried about 1 thing—repetitions. Don’t spend 200 hours making the presentation. Spend a few hours, put yourself out there for 30-45min and move on.
Get feedback — Ask questions of the audience.
What went well?
What fell flat?
How was your timing?
What resonated most with them?
Did you make the topic interesting?
What could you improve on for next time?
Did they learn what you wanted them to?
Don’t forget to write down what you learned about the process. Every time I present, I write down my own answers to the above questions. It helps me make a better version.
Find a new venue and do it again — Repeat and evolve. We build confidence over time. With each presentation under your belt, you’ll become better able to communicate your creative ideas (whatever they may be).
Final Thoughts
Don’t worry if your first, or second, or third presentation experience “sucks.”.
→ It will.
Mine did.
And that’s okay.
Just remember, it’s all part of the game.
With each attempt, I got better.
Create, iterate, and keep going.
Public speaking is a skill anyone can build over time. By sharing more, you become better able to communicate your ideas to almost anyone in any context.
→ People will start to look to you more as a leader.
→You’ll gain confidence in your abilities as a designer.
→You’ll be offered opportunities that you never could have dreamed of.
All because you stood up and spoke.
TL; DR
• Public speaking matters to the creative process
• Public speaking can increase confidence and open doors
• There are 6 key benefits of public speaking for creative pros
• There are 7 steps to start public speaking today
Quote of the Week
Motivation for the days ahead of you.
“The worst speech you’ll ever give, will be far better than the one you never give.”
— Fred Miller
That's all for now.
Stay creative, my friends—and have a great week!
