Communicator, teach thyself!
Volume 2, Number 9 | September 2008
There's an old saying by some smart person--a teacher, probably--that if you really want to learn something,
teach a class in it.
In the past two weeks I've put this to the test, giving one seminar on Marketing Yourself as an Actor for my friends at LA Casting and a whole slew
of interactive, present-y/teach-y/learn-y-type stuff on marketing at the Creative Freelancer Conference in Chicago.
What's fascinating to me is how much more energized I feel about sharing what I know having done it a few times
in close proximity. And while I know that it's not everyone's goal to stand up in front of a bunch of people and talk about stuff, we all have ideas
and information we need to communicate from time to time, whether it's one-on-one in an interview or plunked down in the midst of a new crew of folks
whose views we're unfamiliar with.
Besides, it's not just about teaching: just locking into what you really know about a subject can reignite your enthusiasm for it when you're in a
slump and trigger more fresh ideas to explore when you find yourself in a rut. And who needs slumps and ruts when you can have miles of
smoothly-paved, open road ahead of you?
Here are a few ways to see the stuff you take for granted with a fresh pair of eyes.
1. Lock into what got you excited about your subject in the first place
Whether you're giving a presentation, a performance, or just connecting with a fellow biped over coffee,
nothing carries a message more effectively than your own enthusiasm.
I think it's a great idea to schedule reflection time into your calendar. A daily walk, with or without a dog
attached to you, is a great activity for letting your mind roam in a disciplined fashion. But those dogs do have a way of reminding us about the gifts
of living in the moment and fresh discovery.
2. Write down a list of everything you'd tell someone starting out on your path.
This is a great way to start sorting information that you need to relate to others, with the bonus-extra of providing blessed, blessed proof to
yourself that you've actually picked up some useful knowledge and skills along the way.
Pull out a piece of paper or open a fresh text file and just do a brain dump. Don't worry about the order: just
write down every single thing that comes to mind and, if you're going to be presenting the information, you can organize it later. (If you're keeping
it for self-inspirational purposes, you can leave as-is or winnow into some attractively condensed list that fits easily in wallet or pocket for
juice-on-the-go.)
3. Remember that less is more
The first time you're absorbing any information, you need to take it a little slowly.
I only got through about 2/3 of my scheduled material for the first presentation, and was conscious of how
bare-bones the second was. Not to worry: your job, when you're sharing what you know, is not just to be a data dumper; it's to ignite a spark, so that
the learning continues offline.
This goes double for teaching yourself. When you're setting your own curriculum, it's easy to take on too much.
Make the plan as grand as you want, but chunk it into tiny, digestible pieces. In the same way that muscle tissue builds up from the combination of
being pushed to the max and then repairing itself, you need time in between concepts for stuff to sink in. Pacing and patience is what got you where
you are; it's what will bring you where you want to go next.
4. Think of the occasion as Christmas and yourself as Santa Claus
It can be a little scary or daunting to look at yourself as an expert. When Fraud Alert kicks in, try reminding
yourself that your point isn't to come off as the be-all, end-all and cultivate hero-worship, but to share things that will help people.
While I was prepping my presentations for both my actors and my solopreneur buds, I kept telling myself that
these were the tools that would help set them free and make their paths easier. It made me feel good about all the yakking I'd be doing, and it also
made me think carefully about giving them the gifts that would be the most useful. (Remember: less is more!)
5. Help yourself out of a problem by solving it for someone else
If you're a creative person who's hit one of our inevitable dry patches, imagine yourself sitting down with
someone just starting out. What would you say to her about dry spells? About how to keep going when the world starts getting you down?
Even better, what tips and tricks from other areas of your life might you employ to solve this particular
problem?
The same goes for putting together your own presentation. If you're drawing a blank, frame your "lesson" as the
answer to a question, or a series of questions. It will help keep your material relevant and interactive (nobody likes a lecturer!)
***
If nothing else, looking at something from a teacher's perspective will get you out of yourself and probably,
help you to treat yourself with more kindness, patience and respect. And when you get into teaching mode, you take the focus off of poor, poor you and
onto solving problems: a much more fun and invigorating way to frame an issue!
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