Talks & Speaking

Art. Education. Behaviour. Possibility.

I offer talks for schools, colleges, universities and organisations, bringing together the different strands of my own journey as an artist, educator and doctoral researcher. Whether I’m talking about creativity and building a career from your art, or exploring behaviour, perception and the importance of keeping an open mind, I want people to leave feeling inspired, encouraged and perhaps looking at things a little differently.

For Young People & Emerging Creatives

I know how daunting it can feel trying to turn something you love doing into something you can actually earn money from. In my talks, I share the things I’ve learnt from building my own career as an artist – from selling and pricing work to promoting yourself, approaching galleries and organisations, using social media and finding opportunities in places you might not expect.

I also talk about the bits that don’t always get talked about: rejection, unanswered emails, things not going to plan and having to change direction. I want young people to see that a creative career doesn’t have to follow one set path, and that sometimes simply having the confidence to put yourself forward can open doors.

Talks can include:

Making a Living From Your Creativity
An honest look at turning your creativity into an income – selling your work, pricing it, promoting yourself and finding opportunities.

From Artist to Business
The practical side of being a working artist, including commissions, customers, exhibitions, social media and learning how to put a value on what you create.

Nobody Knows You’re There Until You Tell Them
Having the confidence to put yourself forward, contact people, ask for opportunities and keep going when you don’t get an answer the first time.

There Isn’t Just One Way to Succeed
A motivational talk about finding your own path, changing direction, taking chances and being open to opportunities you might not have originally considered.

For Educators & Education Professionals

My doctoral research looks at something I find fascinating – how teachers make sense of behaviour and how the way we interpret what we see can influence what happens next.

When we see a particular behaviour, it can be easy to think we know what it means. But could somebody else see exactly the same behaviour and understand it completely differently?

My talks explore behaviour, perception, assumptions and professional judgement, and encourage people to keep an open mind and look beyond that first impression. Rather than simply asking “How do we manage this behaviour?”, I encourage people to ask “What do I think I’m seeing – and could there be another explanation?”

My background as an artist gives me an interesting way of exploring this too. We can all look at the same painting and notice, feel or interpret something completely different. Why should behaviour be any different?

Talks can include:

What Do You See?
We can all look at the same painting and see something different. This talk uses that simple idea to explore the way we interpret behaviour. How much of what we think we see is influenced by our own experiences, expectations and assumptions? And what might change if we stop, stay curious and consider another explanation?

Looking Beyond Behaviour
A closer look at what may sit behind the behaviour we see in the classroom, and why understanding the context can be just as important as deciding how to respond.

The Power of an Open Mind
Exploring assumptions, first impressions and the value of being willing to see things differently – not only when working with young people, but in our wider professional lives.

Behaviour: Interpretation Before Intervention
Drawing on my doctoral research, this talk considers an often overlooked part of behaviour management: what happens before we choose a strategy or intervention – how we interpret what we are seeing in the first place.

Talks can be adapted for staff training, INSET days, conferences, education events and different professional audiences.

A Little About Me

Alongside my work as a practising artist, I have a background in teaching and therapeutic arts and I’m currently undertaking doctoral research into teachers’ perspectives on classroom behaviour.

My own career hasn’t followed one straight path. I’ve taught, exhibited my work, run my own gallery, worked on community art projects and murals, sold paintings to collectors across the UK and continued to find new ways of using art and creativity in my work.

That mix of experience is what I bring to my talks. I don’t want to stand at the front and lecture people – I want people to think, join in, ask questions and hopefully leave seeing something a little differently.

Invite Me to Speak

I am available for talks, workshops and events in schools, colleges, universities, conferences and other organisations.

Sessions can be adapted to suit the audience and can range from creative careers and motivation for young people to behaviour, perception and professional practice for educators.

If you’d like to discuss a talk or have an idea for something slightly different, please get in touch.