About speaking
speaking
Last monday, I did my latest workshop. I spend almost 8 hours teaching a dozen or so java developers about the basics ( and then some ) of proper web development. Doing this is the most nerve wrecking piece of my work, as I am not quite confident about public speaking. But it also is one of the things I love doing most, as is talking about your passion is to most people, undoubtedly.
If you wake me up at 4 in the morning, gave me an espresso and asked me to explain some web stuff I will...
By doing these workshops I get even more respect for some of the great speakers I have seen and enjoyed over the years. Guys like Jake, Stephen, Chris and many more. But it also gives me an insight about my own speaking capabilities.
One of my goals when I started as a freelancers again some 2 years ago, was to speak at a major conference. Something I succeeded in doing at the fronteers conference, if only in a panel. Sitting at the other end of a presentation is a very different thing, that I can tell you.
One thing I learned is that speaking does not come easy, as I was very nervous. I can get a message across and tell a semi coherent tale, but I will never be a Stuart (which is good, one Stuart Langridge is more than enough...). The other thing about it I learned is that although some people may have a natural talent, the thing is that in my opinion most speakers have to work hard at making a great presentation. How eloquent you may be, if the message is not good, the presentation isn't.
Some of the smartest people I have met would never speak for a large audience, so it's up to the ones willing, to educate us. By realizing this I am lucky to see so many people in our field doing this so well, with so much energy and passion.
So from here, I would thank all of the speakers that I have seen in the past and the ones I am going to in the future, for sharing so much of the knowledge and passion...
And off-course for entertaining us all!