What Would You Talk About as a TED Talker?

There was a time when I fancied the idea of being a TED talker. I’ve watched dozens of TED talks (videos, not live), and quite a few of them have inspired me. It’s how I learned about Simon Sinek, Daniel Pink, and Dan Ariely.

I’m not sure what I would talk about or if I would even actually do it (public speaking makes me really, really stressed and nervous). Probably something related to games, crowdfunding, marketing, or community building? I’m not sure. I kind of like that I don’t need to distill my life’s work into 12 minutes.

However, I admire those who are able to give such amazing talks, and I was surprised to learn this weekend that a friend actually gave a TEDx talk in St. Louis recently. I shouldn’t have been surprised, as Katie is incredibly driven and intelligent, and she has an extensive background in education. I was more surprised because I don’t know anyone else who has ever given a TED or TEDx talk. I’ll post it below so you can check it out.

Do you know anyone who has given a TED talk? What’s your favorite talk? And which topic would you discuss if you had the stage for 12 minutes?

5 thoughts on “What Would You Talk About as a TED Talker?”

  1. I think about this from time to time and I don’t know that I have anything interesting enough to talk about. (Although with some TED talks, this may not disqualify me.) I think you would have a couple really solid talks in you, Jamey.

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  2. My talk would be titled, “Everything is Art”, and I would take various art mediums that may not appear artistic at first glance and explain how they make the world beautiful.

    For instance, the cinematography of choreographed jet fighters. Man, it’s a thing of beauty, and not just for the folks that go to air shows. The way an airplane can move into the camera frame is something only achieved by flight, and anyone can appreciate it.

    Another non-obvious art form is football (American football). The way a person can train themselves to run a perfect half-circle to execute a devastating block is true art.

    Art is all around us, but can often be difficult to recognize because it’s not the classic art we’re used to, like paintings, sculptures, or music.

    If I were to change career fields, I’ve thought about teaching art classes, as there’s so much more out there than what I was taught. Board game design (not even considering the visual art) is as much an art form as the Mona Lisa. We have something to appreciate and admire from both, and we’re taught something by both.

    Like I said, a thing of beauty.

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  3. For me, public speaking is in my blood…from working as a Realtor in my 20s, to briefing senior civilians and general officers in my 30s and 40s. For a topic, my 20+ years in the foreign language arena, for national security, law enforcement, and intelligence, I would make an impassioned plea to have more young folks consider civilian or military service with their foreign language and cultural proficiency.

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