Vision and Creativity

Vision Green Road Sign Over Clouds
© Andy Dean

When speaking visually you need to be able to put yourself in the place of your audience. Experience your message the way that they would experience your message. Listen with fresh ears. See the connections that they will see.

This might be one of the most difficult things to do in speaking since we have the knowledge. We know what's going on. To look at things anew requires forgetting everything we've spent so much time learning to prepare.

In  Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die the Heath brothers talk about the "Curse of Knowledge" which makes it impossible for you to approach a topic from the perspective of a beginner. The curse takes effect when you don't allow your audience to learn along with you. They can't envision what you're saying without all the knowledge that you already have. So when you talk over their heads, they just give up and tune out.

Practice the creativity of joining your audience on the journey of discovery. Learn to experience your vision new each time so that they can follow along with you.