TED2013 - Session 6: CREATE!

TED2013: The Young. The Wise. The Undiscovered. Session 6: CREATE!

Gotta love the friends who keep you "in the know" and share opportunities with you...

February 27, 2013, I had the opportunity to attend a session of TED2013 via TEDLive held at City College. It was made possible by Scott Elias of LivingWorks Ventures. After the talk he told us for all the years he's been attending TED conferences the common thread among all the speakers is their passion for what they do. What is your passion? Are you happy? How can you make yourself happy doing what you're passionate about? How will your passion affect change? These are questions he didn't have the answers to which is why at age 50 he started LivingWorks Ventures. It's one thing to create products for consumers, it's another to create from love, create memories, create a feeling that a person will want to recreate again with your products.



Here are some highlights from the Create! session of TED2013: The Young. The Wise. The Undiscovered.:


Martin Villeneuve, Graphic artist, director: He made a movie that was impossible to make. He made it because he didn't know it was impossible. He also did it on a very limited-budget. This is where we see constraints producing and/or boosting creativity. Villeneuve also wasn't afraid to ask for funding for his project. When he needed others to help with his project and didn't have money to pay them he paid them with their own desire to create -- strike their imagination with something that will allow them to dream.


Andrew McAfee, Management theorist: The New Machine Age is upon us. Technology that man has created, machines and robots will mean the end to the drudgery for man, artists will be able to do more with the technology, hobbyists can become makers. However, we also have to be aware of the Tale of Two Workers -- Ted and Bill. Ted is a white collar, college educated man who spends his life living comfortable, employed, happy home life and remains in the economy. Bill is a blue-collar man, not college educated and as the age of technological employment shuttles along Bill can't maintain employment, he doesn't vote in elections, he isn't part of a 2-family household, and quite possibly ends up in jail or prison. McAfee's example was of two white male workers, but this trend is found across all racial and ethnic groups.


Dong Woo Jang, bow designer: He's surviving the Korean school system by building bows. He's 15 years old. This lead to his research into Korean history and culture. He succinctly stated that he turned to bow making to "survive" the pressure cooker (Korean school system). Throughout human history, man has relied on the bow and arrow for survival and ended up designing a bow that is very similar to a traditional Korean bow.


Jinsop Lee, Multi-sense designer: What makes an experience pleasurable and memorable is the five senses. Which is why sex is so damn good. He believes designs and products should appeal to all 5 senses -- a toothbrush that tastes like candy, when the candy taste runs out the user knows it's time to get a new toothbrush or a musical remote control.


Barb Stuckey, Food creator: Sweet, Salty, Bitter, Sour and Umami. Umami is the 5th taste, the rich, body taste that makes food so enjoyable. Next time you taste something without your sense of smell (squeeze your nose) that other taste that your experience, it's Umami.


Yu "Jordy" Fo, multifaceted designer: She had her first art show when she was 6 years old. Her mediums include paper cutting and sculpture. She now works in interior design and architecture. A house is probably the most expensive thing a person will buy, but how many people truly love their house? So she creates from love. Her designs are love.


Jacky Myint, designer: She's the designer behind the feature Snow Fall in the NY Times. She loves to create in such a way that the story tells itself. As an interactive storyteller it is important that all forms of media are used without overwhelming the reader/viewer but still providing information and a full experience.


Kate Stone, Shepherd of electrons: It's a skill to get electrons (or sheep) to do what you want them to do when they don't want to do it. You have to alter the environment that they're in. Her latest projects are interactive paper and posters. Wireless newspapers where as you read an article and a song is mentioned in an article, you touch the title of the song and can hear the song, or listen in to press conferences. She's also designed sound boards that could change the face of DJing. She tried it out on the TED stage and it was a success.


Jack Andraka, cancer detector inventor: 15 year old inventor of a pancreatic cancer test. After losing a family member to pancreatic cancer, Andraka set out to learn more about the disease and realized most pancreatic cancers are detected in the later stages when the chances of survival are minimal. The test is also 60 years old (older than his Dad!) and costs roughly $800. His new goal became to develop a test to detect pancreatic cancer in the earlier stages when someone can survive the disease, have it be sensitive to the protein-detectors of the cancer, affordable so everyone can get the test, and easy to use. His test costs $3 and can also detect lung and ovarian cancer. He's now working on a test for all forms of cancer, it's the size of a sugar cube and can look through your skin, that will cost $5.



For the past few years, I've wanted to give a TEDtalk on health, body image, sex and the erotic. I'll be sure to update you on the particulars once I get a date.

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