Public Speaking Makes a Difference

Speaking in public (just like teaching) didn’t come easy to me. It took a while, but think I gradually overcame my self-consciousness by, as I think of it, letting the material do the talking (which is what everybody’s there for anyway). I’ve discovered that I love sharing my fascination and enthusiasm when I engage with an audience about art, my own or others’, or discuss the philosophy and morality of art, the art of climate change, or ecology, art, and spirituality. I consider it a pleasure, an honor, and a responsibility to share ideas generously, compassionately and dynamically, not just talking at but with, to collaborate with others, to challenge systems, and to imagine more adaptive, independent ways of living.

Whether it’s in a classroom, museum, gallery, art association, or international conference, I approach public speaking as a forum for the exchange of passion, emotion, and ideas. If art is one of the ways we connect and create meaning in life, public speaking makes meaning and connection all the more immediate and accessible to all.

Browse a selection of my scholarly articles on art here, and visit the publications below to read additional art columns, features, essays, and reviews.