Outlining Speeches

Finding Light in the Canvas: The Power of Art

[Pause, take a deep breath, look at the audience]

When I was thirteen, my world fell apart. My parents were going through a divorce, and every day felt like walking through a storm without an umbrella. Home wasn’t home anymore—it was a battlefield of silence and slammed doors. I remember sitting in my room, drowning in the noise of my own thoughts, feeling small, powerless.

Then one day, I picked up a pencil.

It wasn’t anything grand—just a messy, shaky sketch on the back of my math homework. But for the first time in months, my mind wasn’t racing. The weight in my chest felt a little lighter. And that was the moment I realized something: art wasn’t just something I did; it was something that saved me.

Art as an Escape

Art has a way of reaching us when nothing else can. It doesn’t judge. It doesn’t tell us we’re wrong for feeling too much or too little. It simply lets us be. In that moment, with my pencil scratching against the paper, I wasn’t the kid caught between two fighting parents—I was an artist, creating something out of nothing.

And I know I’m not alone in this. Maybe for you, it’s music—the way a song wraps around your emotions and makes you feel understood. Maybe it’s dance, where movement speaks louder than words ever could. Or maybe it’s writing, spilling your thoughts onto a page, untangling the mess in your mind.

Think about it—when life feels overwhelming, what do you turn to? A playlist? A favorite movie? A journal? We seek art instinctively because it helps us process emotions that words alone can’t always carry.

I’ll never forget the first time I painted something that actually felt like me. It was late at night, and I had a blank canvas in front of me. No plan, no expectations—just colors. I mixed blues and purples and deep reds, swirling them together like a storm, like the one I felt inside. When I was done, I stepped back and realized something: I had taken all the chaos inside of me and put it somewhere outside of me. And somehow, that made it easier to carry.

Art as a Healer

Science even backs this up. Studies show that creating art reduces stress and anxiety, lowers blood pressure, and even helps people heal from trauma. It activates the brain’s reward system, releasing dopamine—the same chemical that makes us feel happy when we eat our favorite food or get a hug from someone we love.

Hospitals use art therapy to help patients cope with illness. Schools use it to help students express emotions in healthy ways. Even prisons have introduced art programs to help rehabilitate inmates. Why? Because art isn’t just about making something pretty—it’s about making sense of the world and ourselves.

And yet, art is often the first thing to be cut when budgets get tight. It’s dismissed as a hobby, something extra, something unnecessary. But if art were truly unnecessary, why would we find it everywhere? In the graffiti on city walls, in the melodies that make us cry, in the books that transport us to another world? Art is proof that we are human.

Art as Connection

But art isn’t just about personal healing—it connects us to each other. Think about the last time you saw a movie or read a book that made you feel seen, like it was speaking directly to you. That’s the power of art. It bridges the gap between us, reminding us that we’re not alone in our experiences.

I once shared a drawing I made on social media, a simple sketch of a girl standing in the rain. A friend messaged me and said, “This is exactly how I’ve been feeling lately.” We hadn’t talked about what was going on in our lives, but in that moment, through that drawing, we understood each other.

That’s what art does—it creates a language beyond words. It tells us that someone, somewhere, has felt what we’re feeling. And sometimes, that’s all we need to keep going.

Art as a Lifelong Companion

The beautiful thing about art is that it’s always there. Even when people leave, even when circumstances change, even when life gets unbearably hard—art remains. You don’t have to be a “real” artist for it to matter. You don’t have to paint like Van Gogh or write like Shakespeare. You just have to create.

So, to anyone who has ever felt lost, overwhelmed, or like the world is too much—pick up a pencil, a brush, a camera, a microphone. Let art be your refuge, the place where you find yourself again. Because if I’ve learned anything, it’s this: when words fail, art speaks.

[Pause, scan the audience, smile]

Thank you.

Speech Outline: The Power of Art

I. Introduction

• Personal anecdote: Parents’ divorce, feeling lost.

• First time picking up a pencil—realization that art helped.

II. Art as an Escape

• Art doesn’t judge; it lets us express emotions.

• Everyone has a form of art—music, dance, writing, etc.

• Personal anecdote: Late-night painting, putting emotions onto a canvas.

III. Art as a Healer

• Science behind art therapy: reduces stress, anxiety, helps with trauma.

• Hospitals, schools, even prisons use art to heal.

• Society often dismisses art, but it’s everywhere.

IV. Art as Connection

• Art makes people feel seen, understood.

• Personal anecdote: Friend connected to my drawing, even without words.

• Art bridges gaps between people.

V. Art as a Lifelong Companion

• Art remains even when life changes.

• You don’t have to be a professional—just create.

• Call to action: Find your art, let it be your refuge.

VI. Conclusion

• Final thought: "When words fail, art speaks."

• Thank the audience.

Sample Persuasive Outline 2

Sample Persuasive Outline 3

I. Introduction

[Appeal to Audience]

[Preview Main Points]

II. Main Point/Topic#1

• 1. example, statistic, visual, testimonial

  2. example, statistic, visual, testimonial

  3. example, statistic, visual, testimonial

III. Main Point/Topic#2

• 1. example, statistic, visual, testimonial

  2. example, statistic, visual, testimonial

  3. example, statistic, visual, testimonial

IV. Main Point/Topic#3

• 1. example, statistic, visual, testimonial

  2. example, statistic, visual, testimonial

  3. example, statistic, visual, testimonial

VI. Conclusion:  

[Recap Important info that supports your purpose]

[Appeal to Audience]

[Call to Action]

click image to enlarge