How theater helped me find my voice

I had trouble talking with other people when I was young. High school theater and speech gave me a way to put on performances and tell stories. It made me come out of this little bubble, and that was my first time interacting with storytelling. I really enjoyed it.

By Eric Yim. Published by Protocol Text.

I had things to say, but I wasn't saying them

Growing up, I had an older brother who always talked for me. There were so many things I wanted to say, but I was too afraid to say them. So I didn't say them at all.

That's an important part of this memory. Having trouble talking with people didn't mean I had nothing going on in my head. I had thoughts I wanted to share. Getting those thoughts out where another person could hear them was the hard part.

When I think about finding my voice, that's where the story starts. Before I could think about how my words might affect someone, I had to be able to say them. Theater and speech became part of that change for me in high school.

Theater gave me a way to tell stories

In theater and speech, I was able to put on these performances to tell these stories. That's the part I remember: getting to participate in storytelling and finding that I enjoyed it.

When I say it made me come out of my little bubble, I mean I was beginning to express something where other people could hear it. That was a change from wanting to speak and keeping it to myself.

I don't want to make that memory sound like a formula everyone has to follow. Theater was the experience that introduced me to storytelling. Someone else might find that opening in a conversation, a recording, or explaining something they know well.

What I take from it is that having something to communicate can give you a place to start. For me, there were stories to tell. I could participate in telling them, and I enjoyed doing it.

A starting exercise for service business owners

If you run an independent service business and struggle to explain what you know, here's an exercise to try. Choose one question a customer has actually asked you. Keep it small enough that you could answer it in a conversation.

Write down what the person needs to understand. Then say your answer aloud as if you were talking to that one person. You don't need to describe your entire business or fit your whole background into the answer.

For an illustrative example, imagine a customer asks, “What information should I have ready before I contact a service provider?” A starting answer might be: “Tell us what you're trying to get done and when you need it. If you're unsure what the work involves, explain what you've noticed so we can ask useful follow-up questions.”

That's an example to adapt, not a description of work I've done or a process every business uses. Your version should reflect what you actually need from customers.

After recording your answer, listen for the sentence that explains the point most clearly. Keep the words you'd comfortably say to a person. Remove any claim you couldn't support, and add a concrete detail if the answer feels too broad.

The connection to my theater experience is having something specific to communicate. You can begin with a useful explanation rather than trying to sound confident on command. The exercise gives you a small piece of your knowledge to work with.

I still find parts of this awkward

Finding my voice hasn't made every way of sharing it comfortable. I can talk when there's no camera. Even voice recording feels different. When there's a camera, it just feels so weird. I overthink it.

I've also found that I'm better at helping other people tell their story than figuring out how to tell mine. So I understand how you can have something worth sharing and still struggle with the telling.

As I've gotten older, I've seen how much words can impact someone. I think it's important to share what you know. Theater was my first experience of enjoying storytelling, and that gives me a place to look back to when expressing myself feels awkward again.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need theater experience to try this exercise?

No. Theater is part of my personal story, not a requirement for sharing yours. Start with a subject you understand and a question you can answer honestly. Speaking to one person you trust is another way to try the explanation before deciding whether to share it publicly.

What if my work involves private customer details?

Explain the decision or process without identifying the customer. You can also use a clearly labeled hypothetical example. Leave out names, addresses, and details that could reveal who the customer is. A useful explanation doesn't need to expose someone's situation.

How can I tell if my explanation makes sense?

Ask someone to listen and tell you what they understood. Ask which part needed more explanation, rather than only asking whether they liked it. If they miss the main point, try a smaller question or a more concrete example. That gives you something specific to revise.