Public Speaking for Introverts: How Photography, Grief, and Practice Turned Me Into a Speaker

I’m an introvert with ADHD and autism. Standing in front of a room full of people and talking should be the last thing I’d volunteer to do. But I speak regularly at Eliances, I’ve done podcast interviews, and I’m preparing to speak at local Toastmasters clubs and other organizations. See what Toastmasters taught me. Public speaking didn’t come naturally to me. It came through a series of events that started with grief and a camera.

Photography as a Bridge

When my wife passed away, I was submerged in grief and isolation. I picked up a camera. It started as escape. I drove to national parks across the U.S. Southwest and photographed landscapes. The silence and scale of those places matched what I was feeling, and the camera gave me something to focus on besides loss.

Over time, the subjects changed. Renaissance festivals, belly dancers, wrestling matches, mermaid shows, private photo shoots, weddings. Each one required me to interact with people. I had to direct shots, discuss ideas, coordinate with subjects. The camera gave me a reason to talk to strangers without the pressure of pure social interaction. I was still an introvert, but I was an introvert with a purpose that required communication.

Photography taught me to observe people closely, to notice expressions and body language, to understand what makes someone comfortable or uncomfortable in front of a lens. Those skills transferred directly to public speaking and to interviewing ghostwriting clients. The camera was a bridge from isolation to engagement, and I didn’t realize I was crossing it until I was already on the other side.

Toastmasters

Toastmasters gave me structure. Photography had broken through my social anxiety, but speaking in front of a group is a different skill that requires practice in a specific format. Toastmasters provided that: a supportive environment where you can start from scratch, make mistakes, get feedback, and gradually build confidence.

The program is structured so that you progress through increasingly challenging speaking assignments. You start with basic introductions and work up to persuasive speeches, impromptu speaking, and leadership roles within the club. The regular practice and the feedback loop were what made the difference. You can read about public speaking techniques forever and never improve. You have to actually stand up and talk to people, repeatedly, to get better at it.

Toastmasters has its limitations. It demands a real time commitment. The quality of clubs varies widely. Some clubs are welcoming and constructive. Others are rigid and overly formal. But for someone who needed a structured path from “terrified of speaking” to “capable of holding a room,” it worked.

What Introversion Actually Means for Speaking

Introversion isn’t shyness, though they often overlap. Shyness is fear of social judgment. Introversion is about energy. Large social situations drain me. I need quiet time afterward to recover. This doesn’t mean I can’t speak publicly. It means I have to manage my energy around speaking engagements. There’s more on that in how grief reshaped me.

I’ve learned to work with my introversion instead of fighting it. I prepare thoroughly so I’m not improvising under pressure. I arrive early to get comfortable with the space. See how this worked in practice: a book that landed a TEDx talk. For more on grief, reinvention, and starting over, hear Richard on The Art of Rising. I build in recovery time after speaking events. I accept that networking afterward will be more draining than the speech itself and plan accordingly.

The assumption that introverts can’t be effective public speakers is wrong. Introverts often make better speakers because they prepare more carefully, listen more attentively, and think before they talk. The energy cost is real, but it’s manageable once you understand it and stop pretending it doesn’t exist.

Speaking as a Business Tool

I speak at Eliances, a business networking group in Arizona, where I present to rooms of entrepreneurs, executives, and professionals. These aren’t casual conversations. They’re structured presentations where I have to communicate my expertise and value clearly in a limited time. Every speaking engagement is a chance to connect with potential clients who need ghostwriting services.

I also do podcast interviews, which are a different format but use the same core skills: the ability to articulate ideas clearly, tell stories that hold attention, and respond to questions thoughtfully. Podcasts reach audiences I’d never access through networking alone, and each appearance builds credibility that supports my business.

I’m expanding into speaking at local Toastmasters clubs and other organizations. Public speaking is one of the most effective ways to demonstrate expertise without having to sell directly. When you stand in front of a room and deliver real value, people remember you when they need what you offer.

For writers specifically, public speaking creates opportunities that writing alone doesn’t. A book establishes expertise on paper. Speaking establishes it in person. The combination is more powerful than either one alone. Clients who’ve heard you speak and read your work arrive already trusting you, which changes the entire dynamic of the business relationship.

Getting Started

If you’re an introvert who thinks public speaking isn’t for you, consider that I thought the same thing. The path doesn’t have to start with a keynote address. Mine started with a camera in a national park. Find something that requires you to interact with people in a context where you have a role and a purpose. Photography did that for me. For you it might be teaching, volunteering, leading a small group, or joining a Toastmasters club.

The fear of public speaking is real but it’s also manageable. Most audiences are far more forgiving than you imagine. They’re not watching for mistakes. They’re listening for something useful or interesting. If you deliver that, they’ll forgive everything else.

Start small. Practice regularly. Get feedback from people who want you to improve, not people who want to make you feel good. And understand that the goal isn’t to become an extrovert. The goal is to become an introvert who can hold a room when they need to.