Inspirations from Kate Mulgrew

Born with Teeth

pic-kate-1st-300x201I saw Kate Mulgrew, the actress playing the role of “Red” on “Orange is the New Black,” speak at Seattle Town Hall.

She read from her memoir, “Born with Teeth.” She read about giving up her daughter for adoption and then meeting her for the first time many years later.

I’ve never been so captivated listening to someone read. The words flew off the page, from her gut into our hearts. The entire audience was spellbound.

Being Generous

Heart SeedAfterwards she spoke about working with Stella Adler, her acting coach. Stella told her,

“Always be generous with your audience. Give them everything you have. Never settle for mediocrity.”

That’s exactly what Kate did as she read to us. She imbued every word with generosity. She shared her vulnerability, her wit, her power, her grief, her ecstasy.

As a result, we experienced all of those emotions right along with her. She brought us into her world and allowed us see our own world more clearly.

Exploring Vulnerability

pic-kate-3Kate spoke with glee about her latest role as “Red.” She said it was great fun to play a wonderfully flawed and complex character.

Kate has played strong women her entire career (most well-know for replacing Captain Kirk’s role in “Star Trek: Voyager” as Captain Kathryn Janeway.)

Now she is most interested in exploring vulnerability and all that can be learned and revealed through that exploration.

Adding Depth to Public Speaking

intertwined handsI love looking at great actors to discover how to bring more depth and honesty to public speaking.

During your next talk, think about how you can be more generous with your audience.

How can you bring more of yourself to your presentation? How can you connect more deeply?