Use it!

Something happens, we are unhappy, frustrated, angry.

That day, my legs hurt, I was tired. The corridor in the tube seemed interminable.

I took out my camera and shot pictures.

They showed how long that road felt for me, they speak to me still today. And they spoke to more then 300 who looked at it and 10 who 'favourited' this.

It was worth using it.

So it is with a story or comedy routine. We can later make fun, or recount what happened. Share it. We transmit not only what happened to us that day, but feelings we all share.

Julie Kertesz, Keynote Speaker

It is great to being invited and assist to a Creative Ageing day and be the Keynote speaker, it was also nice to be paid and all expenses of travel from London to Ayr taken care of. It was wonderful to meet with so many interesting people of all ages, this time most over 50.

It is very rewarding to receive an appreciation like this for my work, stories and presence.

"Julie's Keynote was an inspiring and invigorating start to our Creative Ageing Day, with the stories and experiences which she shared successfully bringing a broad group of delegates on board to fully engage with the activities and sessions on offer. 

As a storyteller and speaker her wholehearted zest humour and creativity is evident as a driving force throughout her own life, work and latterly in her responses to the ageing process. This is the Kertesz 'touch' from which many of our delegates drew strength and encouragement to take some of their own creative risks!

Gillian Steel - Senior Cultural Coordinator, South Ayrshire Council"

It depends

Are wrinkles interesting, beautiful, fascinating?

There is no clear answer to it.

It depends.

On this statue I found yesterday suddenly before me as I went to my Toastmasters club meeting in the Northern Trust, noon time, it was.
I was fascinated.

Is it fascinating on an old woman?

It depends.

Is a beginning or an ending or a theme of a speech the right one?

It depends.

Depends who looks at it, how he feels and for the speech, it depends on the occasion and the audience and even the speaker's mood.

A twist to a true tale

It remains still true, but a twist can make a true story so much powerful and make it more memorable too. I usuelly, stick to the truth even when giggin' but some other comedians and teachers recommend to just start there. I will have to experiment, a bit. Go sometimes farther, to make my message stronger?

Domestic violence "stages" and why we did not leave

Inspirational, informative and persuasive speech.

Leslie Morgan Steiner "I didnt know that the first stage in any domestic violence relationship is to seduce and charm the victim... I also didnt know that the second steop is to isolate the victim. .. The next step in the domestic violence pattern is to introduce the threat of violence and see how she reacts…"  Ted talk "It is incredible dangareous to leave an abuser". 

It decided me to talk again about how it did happen to me and also understand the stages of domestic violence. Thank you!

She speaks simply, and so powerful at the same time. There are stories that survivors have to tell. Now that I understand better, I hope I will be able to do so. I hope. It have to be better understood, digested, even if it is far away it was not completely till this morning. Of course, it will also hurt to remember, but to understand is a long way to heal the wounds. I was not beaten like her many times, but the menace that a blow can come again was there on my head.

Memories from Ayr: Julie keynote speaker

Many great memories from Ayr, their wonderful men and women, the sea and seagulls even in the cold weather, warmed my heart.

And, I know now that I can be a great keynote speaker too telling personal stories that inspire and making laugh of my stumbling and not knowing and getting lost too.

I know from now on that I can speak a lot more minutes then I usually am allowed, and also, but that I always knew, am good at Questions and Answers.

It was a great experience for me, also proving again my point of view of importance of personal storytelling, in many different occasions. It works!

Keynote in Ayr at Creative Ageing day

23 March 2013 Creative Ageing  day in Ayr

"One door closes (no more young in this case) - other door opens (many in fact)
and we can be creative, playful, experimenting again as we were as children."

After the speech, after the QA, I did go to the Dancing workshop (really out of my comfort zone)
A great long day of different workshops and lots of photos I have also taken that day
Met a lot of interesting people! Spend the whole next day with Rosie, Ayr Storyteller.

And I got a great review from the organiser, of my performance.

As I see and listen to this video now, a month later, my first ever "pro" keynote: there is room for improvement. Together with the Q and A part, it gave a good result and great communication with those attending. For the moment, only two observations. I was very much at ease, no sign of the torment I went through the days before arriving there. And I have to analyse it longer to pick the good parts and, as also in a comedy set, let drop some of the rest.

Thanks a lot for sending it to me! And here is the student who took video of all the event and send me a copy that is small enough so I could upload on YouTube, embed and blog it here.

Jamie Hare, photographed this time by me

He is the "Studio and Technical Operations Co-Ordinator"

At the Ayr Campus KA8 0SR

The video shows only part of the audience as Jamie and his camera was on one side of the room.
The audience was in fact almost all around, about 45 to 55, a growing number arrived in the pause, between the speech and the questions and answers. There are so many great memories of that day, so many contributed to make it great and useful. Thank to Gillian the organiser, it was so full!

And here are the Questions and Answer part, about 12 minutes.

More reaction from audience to be heard, in the first part it is mostly 'seen' by me.