Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Making the Most of Gestures

This article is a nice comprehensive tour through the basics of gesturing. However, it is nearly impossible to teach a statue to move. Stone is not a pliable material. Unfortunately the ability, more of a need really, to gesture is formed early in life. It is part of your personality. And when we try to coach people into using gestures what you end up with is the likes of Al Gore with his thumb in the air.

If you believe gesturing will advance your career or your personal happiness, do this. Video record yourself telling the camera, or live audience if you prefer, the funniest story you have every told. Also try the saddest, scariest, outrageous and so on. Push rewind and watch what gestures come naturally to you. Work on making your excited personality come through in more mundane situations. It will work. I promise.

1 comment:

TJ Walker said...

I find most of my clients won't gesture when they are giving a speech and being video recorded, but if i record them when they don't realize the camera is on and they are just talking, they see a wide range of natural hand movements.