TED was built to ignite and inspire, and now you have access to ALL the videos.
Earlier this year, TED decided to unleash its video archives dating all the way back to 1984, which is tremendous news for everyone who loves to fall down TED-shaped rabbit holes.
TED’s also great for the purpose of soaking up a diverse range of advice, insight and inspiration, if you need a little inspo to live your best life without shelling out the thousands upon thousands of dollars it requires to attend a headlining TED talk IRL. Hooray!
We’ve rounded up five videos that’ll leave you inspired as all get out—ready to come up with brilliant ideas, disrupt societal norms, stand up for social justice, remind you of the power of art, and nudge you towards that all-important state of vulnerability.
Dig in and get ready to feel inspired AF.
How to disrupt expectations
“Have you ever felt like you’re being a pain in the ass?” author C. Nicole Mason asks at the opening of her talk. Why, yes, very much so, thanks for asking. Mason goes on to expound why challenging gender expectations as girls, and as women, is integral in creating the lives we want to live, and how she’s gone about doing that in her own life.
4 simple ways to have a great idea
“Success expert” and author, Richard St. John breaks down the four simple ways to come up with a great idea, using Richard Branson, Sam Smith, Marilyn Von Savant (the world-record holder for having the highest IQ) as examples. Spoiler alert: They really are simple!
How painting can transform communities
Artists Jeroen Koohaas and Dre Urhahn recount how they set out to paint entire neighborhoods in the favelas of Rio to North Philadelphia, and the uplifting, community-building effect art can have on the citizens inhabiting a city. Art FTW!
An interview with the founders of Black Lives Matter
The inspiring founders of Black Lives Matter—Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi—articulate the case for why this social justice movement is essential to the progress and well-being of all.
The power of vulnerability
And an oldie but a goodie: Brené Brown—one of the foremost experts on human shame and vulnerability—gave this talk in 2011 and it’s since garnered more than 30 million views worldwide, making it one of the top five TED talks of all time.
And for good reason: Brown’s personal exploration of the concept of vulnerability, her research, and her ensuing insights make a compelling case “to let ourselves be seen, deeply seen, vulnerably seen; to love with our whole hearts, even though there’s no guarantee.”
