Episode 05: Public Speaking for Artists
Listen to a special guest, Mark Galaviz talk about the importance of public speaking.
Download Episode 05 Here!
Why Public Speaking?
Most artists don’t take the time to consider how important public speaking is to their careers. Being able to pitch your artist statement in 30 seconds, give an engaging artist talk, or persuade your audience to care about your art is essential to success.
Mark Galaviz, national champion public speaker and Director of Weber State University’s Speech and Debate Team, walks us through the essential steps to success. You know what gallery curators and owners are going to ask you - they are going to ask you about your art. So, know your process, know your philosophy of art-making, and know how to say all of it in a clear and articulate way.
You don’t need a degree in communication to be good at public speaking - you just need to practice.
How to Practice:
Record yourself. Yup - you read that right. Sit down in front of your computer camera and record yourself answering the essential questions about your art. Once you finish the recording look back at it and mark areas that you can improve. Maybe you use too many filler words (um/and/like/uh) - maybe you fidget too much. What matters is, that you won’t know how to get better unless you know what you are doing wrong.
Mark says that tons of research shows we only have 10-15 seconds to grab someone’s attention and make a good impression. Don’t let that freak you out, instead learn how to speak smoothly and also the tips for persuasion.
Persuasion:
Mark breaks persuasion down to you - you are selling yourself. Not your art. So, you need the audience to connect to who you are (and the audience is the most important part). This means you need to know how to get them to connect with you. The advice? Ethos, Pathos, Logos.
Ethos - This is your credibility. Who are you and why do you have the authority to talk about what you are talking about? This one is the easiest part - you are the EXPERT in why you make the art you do and how you make the art. So, be the expert.
Pathos - This is your passion. What is the emotional drive for your art? What is the emotional connection you make your audience feel? Why do you make the art you make??
Logos - This is the logic of it all. Ground your philosophy in an aesthetic movement. Do you make surreal art? If so, what surrealist philosophy do you believe in? Psychic Automatism? Veristic Surrealism? Etc. Know the history of your style of art.
Practice
The success of public speaking just comes down to practice - really. Anybody can be good at it. You just have to push through the discomfort and work on the areas you are weak at. Be okay with mistakes (like we should be with art), be patient with yourself, and put yourself in situations to practice. Talk about your art to people you meet, your friends, and your loved ones. Record yourself giving a pitch…giving an artist talk. Most of all don’t give up!