Lessons Learned
We survived, barely, the inauguration of President Joe Biden. Now, don’t get your pants in a twist; this is not a post about the President or American politics. Nope. Not at all. I was just thinking about the many things we as a society are surviving. The pandemic pressures continue to stress the health care systems across the world. Mental health is becoming a larger concern due to the pandemic. Remember Climate Change. Yup, we are probably barely surviving that one too, and just a fun fact, I survived my first ever public talk!
“But Scott, haven’t you done talks before?”
Yes, I have, but those were for conferences and in front of my peers. This was PUBLIC! As in, anyone can come to the talk (virtually, of course) and listen to me ramble on about my graduate practicum experience in Roman and Byzantine numismatics.
EXHILARATING!
Check Out The Nickle Galleries YouTube Channel For My Talk.
I did enjoy every minute of it. I was talking about things I love. Coins, Ancient History and Education (via Museums). However, this was one bumpy f**k’n road with sharp turns, potholes and…well, you get the picture. Without having made myself look like a f**k’n joke in front of a couple of professors and some fellow grad students a few days before my talk, it wouldn’t have been successful (in my eyes).
DRY RUN THAT F**KR!
Yea! I mean it. Without making an ass of myself in front of my peers, I would have been a bigger ass in front of 47 people. I know, right! 47 people came to see me blather on about coins, identity and museums. Anyway, thanks to the feedback that I got from my peers, I made the edits I needed and fixed some really dumb mistakes before my talk. All of this allowed me to realize one crucial thing about presenting and talking in public.
JUST BE YOURSELF!
Çadır Höyük, 2016 Field Season. I found a jaw bone and some skull fragments. I was PUMPED!!!! This pic was just before we took up the whole floor, and me just being myself!
And that’s WTF I did. My dry-run was a written disaster with a voice that was not mine. I used fancy words meant to impress rather than tell a story. It was a long-winded and jumbled mess. As I read this presentation to my peers, I knew immediately that it was a disaster. I felt horrible, ashamed and, basically, like a f**k’n joke. But then my wonderful friend and colleague talked to me later that day and told me a few things that made me realize that this disaster was needed.
She told me that the bones were there. The framework was good. I just need to use my voice and reorganize everything, but VOICE was important. The talk did not sound like me. My usual confident self was taking the day off, probably drinking a vodka-tonic and lime (my drink of choice), and whatever the f**k covered its shift basically shit the bed.
So I regrouped, pulled up my big-boy pants and scrapped the whole presentation. I mean PowerPoint and all! I woke up the next day and started fresh. When I finished, I did two more dry-runs—one with my friend and with my practicum supervisor. And guess what! Bam! 💥 I nailed it…kinda.
With a few minor corrections, I had a talk that I was excited to present to the public, and when the big day came, I walked in (virtually) with swagger. Then the nerves punched me in the gut. 47 people showed up. I talked for about 50 minutes: coins, Byzantium, identity and museums. So much to unpack. I talked about how I got into this field, where it has taken me, and how the practicum changed my current and future studies' direction. I closed off the talk with how I created this site. Yes, this site is a product of that practicum.
Now, needless to say, this blog has not gone the way I intended, but I blame COVID for that one. However, it has pushed me past comfort zones that I never thought possible, and one of those is Blogging! I’ve always wanted to do this but never really had much to talk about, and plus, I was f**k’n scared what people would think.
I am past that now. I have also learned some valuable lessons from the practicum and the Nickle@Noon talk.
EXPLORE, BE CURIOUS AND TAKE A CHANCE!
Oh! And Dry-Run, Dry-Run, and Dry-Run that F**kr.
I mean, without the support, guidance and feedback from my colleagues and friends, this talk would have been a train wreck that you definitely would not want to be witness to. Writing is a process full of embarrassment, criticism (both constructive and…not so constructive), and cringe-worthy moments. Still, it is a necessary evil that makes you stronger, more confident and helps you find your voice. And that, my friend, is the most important part.
As Genie would say: