I Got Paid to Teach at a Planner Event (and I'm Scared of Public Speaking)

and what that taught me about creative opportunities

When I was in school, I used to count paragraphs ahead.

You know when the teacher would go around the class and everyone had to read a section out loud? I’d sit there, heart racing, counting ahead to figure out which paragraph would be mine - just so I could rehearse it silently before it got to me.

Because if I didn’t, I knew exactly what would happen. I’d start stumbling over my words. My voice would shake. I’d lose my place halfway through a sentence. And more often than not, the teacher would just say, “Okay, let’s move on.” Not because I’d finished…but because I couldn’t.

Speaking in front of people, even just reading a paragraph, filled me with anxiety.

And yet…this weekend, I stood in front of over 100 people and led a paid workshop for The Planner Department’s Great Planner Getaway > check them out here

Not only that, but I really enjoyed it. (I even made a joke at the beginning about hoping I wouldn’t stumble over my words…which thankfully, I didn’t!)

And the reason I want to write about this isn’t just to share a “look what I did” moment. It’s because this kind of opportunity is so much more accessible to creative business owners than most people realise.

This wasn't something I applied for

For anyone wondering how they could do the same, just know - I didn’t pitch myself as a workshop host. I actually reached out to the event because I wanted a stall - a normal market-style setup, selling my products. That was the plan.

But I’d missed the deadline.

And instead of just saying no, they replied with: “We were actually going to reach out to you anyway! Would you be interested in running a workshop for the event?”

That one email turned into a paid speaking opportunity, a workshop with over 100 attendees, a pop-up stall on the same day, and income from both.

All from simply putting myself in the room. Not perfectly or very strategically. Just…showing up and asking!

Why this matters when you run a creative business

When we think about making money as creatives, we often default to the obvious: selling products, taking commissions or maybe digital downloads. But there’s this whole other layer of opportunities that sits alongside that - workshops, speaking, teaching and collaborations with events.

And what I realised this weekend is that you don’t need to be “the best” to access any of it. You don’t need a massive audience, and you don’t need to have everything figured out. You just need a skill, a way to communicate it, and a willingness to step into the opportunity when it shows up.

So how do you actually position yourself for this?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot since the event, and three things really stand out.

1. Build visibility, not just followers

I don’t have a huge audience - around 14k on Instagram, a growing YouTube channel. I’m not a “massive” creator. So this wasn’t about numbers. It was about being visible in the right spaces. I share my work, I show my process and I talk about what I do. So when they were thinking about workshops, I came to mind.

That’s the shift worth making: it’s not “how many followers do I have?” It’s “would someone think of me for this?” Because that’s what actually leads to opportunities.

2. Adapt your skill to the audience

This part is so important. I didn’t just walk in and teach my usual illustration style - I adjusted it. The audience were planner enthusiasts, so instead of full illustrations, I focused on doodles, borders, banners, and simple decorative elements. Things they could actually use in their planners. And then I took my usual style and simplified it.

Because the goal wasn’t to teach them everything I know about illustration. It was to give them something they could actually do, enjoy, and continue after the workshop. You don’t need a new skill. You just need to take what you already do and translate it into something useful for a specific audience.

3. Be ready, even if you didn’t expect it

I didn’t pitch this workshop. But when they asked, I was able to say yes - because I could quickly outline what I’d teach, structure the session, and explain the value.

A lot of creatives wait until they feel “ready enough.” But actually, being ready looks more like having a rough idea of what you could teach, knowing your strengths, and being willing to figure the rest out. Opportunities don’t always come when you expect them. But when they do, you want to be able to step into them.

The biggest takeaway

Honestly? It wasn’t the money. (It was great - but that’s not the part that stayed with me.)

It was the feedback! So many people came up to me afterwards and said things like “that’s the best workshop I’ve been to in a long time” and “I didn’t think I could draw, but I actually can!” Even the organisers said they had an overwhelming amount of positive feedback.

And that’s when it really clicked. This isn’t just about another income stream. It’s about giving people confidence, helping them try something new, and creating an experience they actually remember.

If you’re thinking “I could never do that” just remember: I was the person who couldn’t even read a paragraph out loud in class.

And now I’m standing in front of 100+ people, leading a workshop. Not because I suddenly became a different person. But because I built something over time, stayed visible, and said yes when the opportunity came.

So if this is something you’ve ever thought about, take this as your sign that it’s not out of reach. You don’t need to be perfect. You don’t need to be the best. You just need to start positioning yourself for the opportunity.