Tagged: Inspiration
20 Must-Watch TED Talks for Creatives & Entrepreneurs
- by Alyson Shane
Regardless of how much you love what you do, there are inevitably doing to be times when you're feeling down, or uninspired, or are simply suffering from a lack of motivation (I know those feels).
When I'm feeling down I like to find a fun project to work on (like doing some writing, editing photos, etc) and put on a good TED Talk to listen to while I work. I love hearing other people's thoughts and stories, and have actually been using TED Talks to get inspired since 2007, when I worked a mind-numbingly dull job as an accounting assistant in a government office. I hated my job, and listening to people with big ideas, dreams, and goals made me feel a little less crazy for being underwhelmed with my current circumstances.
These days I certainly feel a lot better about what I do day-to-day, there are still times when a little verbal pick-me-up is required to get those creative juices flowing again. With that in mind, I wanted to share some of my favourite talks to help you stay motivated:
*I also happen to have ASMR, and for those of you lucky enough to experience the same lovely sensations when listening to people speak, I've put a little asterisk next to the ones that give me the best kinds of brain-tingles.
Inspiring Talks
I'm a sucker for a good cheesy talk, and nothing snaps me out of a funk faster than listening to a few talks about dreaming big and going for it. In particular I'd recommend checking out Amanda Palmer's talk; hearing hers was pivotal for me in learning to ask other people for help and admitting that (gulp!) maybe I don't know everything.
Steve Jobs: How to Live Before You Die
Simon Sinek: How Great Leaders Inspire Action
Adam Grant: The Surprising Habits of Original Thinkers
Dan Pink: The Puzzle of Motivation
Amanda Palmer: The Art of Asking
Business & Success Talks
I've been listening to talks about business since... well, long before running my own business ever crossed my mind. In particular I'm drawn to talks that tackle issues like healthy workplaces, finding work that matters to you, and spreading your ideas successfully.
Bill Gross: The Single Biggest Reason Why Startups Succeed
Barry Schwartz: The Way We Think About Work is Broken
Scott Dinsmore: How to Find Work You Love
Seth Godin: How to Get Your Ideas to Spread
Dan Ariely: What Makes Us Feel Good About Our Work?*
Yves Morieux: As Work Gets More Complex, 6 Rules to Simplify*
Creativity & Happiness Talks
Two of the talks in this category are ones I've been listening to for several years. They're always good to come back to when I need a refresher that creativity isn't something that just disappears (though sometimes it feels that way) and that I have to actively work at being happy.
Matthieu Ricard: The Habits of Happiness*
Carol Dweck: The Power of Believing That You Can Improve
Ken Robinson: Do Schools Kill Creativity?*
Dan Gilbert: The Surprising Science of Happiness
Tim Harford: How Frustration Can Make Us More Creative
General Interesting Talks
Below are a few of my favourite talks that didn't really fit into any of the above categories, but I find myself revisiting again and again because they're just that good.
Ole Scheeren: Why Great Architecture Should Tell a Story*
Yanis Varoufakis: Capitalism Will Eat Democracy -- Unless We Speak Up
Yves Morieux: How Too Many Rules at Work Keep You From Getting Things Done*
Dan Gross: Why Gun Violence Can't Be Our New Normal
Do you have any favourite videos that you play to stay motivated and find inspiration? Tweet them at me or tell me in the comments!
get inspired
- by admin
after spending an evening hanging with great people, eating great food and having great conversations last night I woke up at 8:30am feeling great and spent the next few hours lying in bed with Tyrone, just hanging out. he's playing Professor Layton and I read on my iPad and we drink coffee and chat and it's really becoming important to me to get at least one morning a week in where we can just exist together before we have to go face the world.
we went to The Forks today and it was jam-packed, there's an art festival and auction going on so one of the main atriums was filled with people painting, sketching, and basically creating all kinds of wonderful unique art.
we stopped at Tall Grass Prairie and grabbed some bread, bannock and at Fenton's for some really fancy cheese for the wine, cheese & silly outfit party with @cenquist, @dponticelli and more tonight.
we've both been hard at work getting stuff prepped for MEME this year it's crazy. I've been doing a ton of research about new ways to get people involved and excited about the festival and Tyrone has been building & planning nonstop for the visuals (it's going to be insane, I promise) and it's really great to be so inspired lately.
saw this vid today that @JFratthe posted earlier featuring Will Smith which basically just reaffirms how I've been thinking lately. usually I think celebs inspiring you is a bit silly (since most of them suck) but the fresh prince has always seemed to have his head on straight.
gotta go pack the onesie for the party!
chowderrrrrrr
