Re-imagining the World One Mouthful at a Time . . . . .

How do you feel about Public Speaking?

26 September 2016

Service Design Fringe Festival

Creative Courage and Confidence
I discovered an inspiring workshop over the weekend with Service Design Fringe Festival on public speaking and how we can work together to give others confidence to DO and act! For many people, standing up in public and doing a speech is one of their greatest fears. The feeling of cold sweats, and when you’re ready to share your passions with others but then nothing comes out of your mouth!? The stage comes in all shapes and sizes and everyone has their own reasons for that ‘stage fright’ feeling.  This was a practical workshop put on by Lauren Currie and Lindsay Dukes; who both took time out to share with us their stories and about developing techniques to gain confidence when speaking in-front of big and small crowds; from preparation to motivation, practice and delivery. We discussed ways to engage audiences through storytelling about who you are, what you do and why you do what you do; through to being confident in getting our messages across in a manner where they are heard and taken more serious by others.

Service Design Fringe FestivalService Design Fringe FestivalService Design Fringe Festival

Lauren Currie is a designer and a proper doer who works with people, teams and organisations helping them be better. She is also the founder of #upfront, a movement that I particularly took a shine to, that force stages around the world to be more diverse and accessible with a particular focus on getting more women up and speaking ( yes please!). The world certainly needs more people like Lauren, and I found her story very inspiring.

Lindsay is a writer and performer, demonstrated to us, by simply ‘breathing out’, sloooooowly, this would help to slow down the heart rate and centre the voice – enabling what we want to say (the voice) to come out stronger. Lindsay also reminded us not to look at the floor as we enter the centre stage (that will always be there. So, head up. Always!)….

The Service Design Fringe Festival ran alongside the London Design Festival to highlight some of the current work and create discussion about the types of work service designers are doing in London. Supporting, encouraging and being able to inspire others is something that really drives me to do what I do – and the people I met here definitely shared the same passions too.

Thanks Lauren, Lindsay and Service Design Fringe for a workshop that allowed me to take some time out and to develop myself. You certainly put (and others), a smile on my face :)

Missie Cindz

posted under: Daily Musings, Inspiration