There is no reason to hesitate to express yourself. Understanding the basic principles of conversation will help you a lot. It will make your conversations more lively and exciting. The key to a good conversation is to find common interests between you and the other person. The best way to find them is through small talk.
Small talk is just an exchange of basic information, but it's a good way to start a conversation.
You'll find that people usually like to talk about themselves and their experiences. Some people don't like to take part in small talk because it seems to have no real purpose. Talking about trivial matters with people who they don't know well seems to be a waste of time. But if you don't learn how to enjoy small talk, you miss a precious chance to know what the other person is like, and, therefore, to find common interests with him or her. Small talk is indeed the foundation of communication.