If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook then you know my sweetheart and I are going back and forth between Georgia and Arizona for his job. We’re fortunate that most of my work can be done remotely, and I’m not waiting weeks at a time for him to come in from traveling.
When we are in Arizona, the sunshine and perfect weather beckon me outside, a lot. I like to skip the gym and walk to the park to get in my daily steps, and what better way to stay up to date with the world than to listen to TED Talks?
Are you familiar with TED? Such a tremendous and varied resource. There is not a single talk I have listened to that I haven’t gleaned some valuable nugget. The following list of 13 Author TED Talks will inspire you with their passion, honesty and creativity. Let me know if there’s an author talk I’ve missed! I need more talks for my walks ~ hey that rhymed!
Favorite TED Talks
If you’ve been reading my blog for some time you know Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts, is somewhat of a hero to me. I love her book. And both her TED Talk and book reveal the benefits and power of being an introvert. I’m a true introvert and raised one introvert and two extroverts. If you are or know an introvert Susan Cain’s TED Talk will give you great insight.
Then there’s Brené Brown, author of, most recently, Rising Strong {review here}. A shame and vulnerability researcher, Brené has profound insights into how we can overcome our self-talk of guilt and shame. She’s also pretty darned hilarious, a great storyteller and incredibly relatable.
Shonda Rhymes. Oh how I am a glutton for her shows. Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder are all queued and ready to binge watch at any given moment. Her book, The Power of Yes, had me nodding along and feeling like Shonda’s bestie. Her TED talk only enhanced those feelings!
There’s J.K. Rowling‘s talk about failure. We’ve probably all read, at least a few times, about J.K. Rowling’s path to success. And even after her Harry Potter success, J.K. Rowling still had trouble getting published when she used the pseudonym, Robert Galbraith. This talk will encourage you to keep striving for your goals. Don’t give up.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie author of Americanah, We Should all be Feminists. Yes. We. Should. Need I say more?
Mac Barnett, children’s author on why a good book is a secret door. I love reading stories to my grandson and Mac Barnett has so many great ones like Extra Yarn! and How This Book Was Made. His talk is like going through that secret door us readers are all familiar with – that of opening a book.
Tweet: 13 amazing author talk on TED you don’t want to miss!
Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love and most recently, Big Magic, on creative genius. Another favorite TED Talks. A bit of brutal honesty on the creative process. Gives just the right amount of kick in the pants to get up and get busy!
Author of The World Between Two Covers, Ann Morgan, completed the self-challenge of reading a book from each of the 196 countries around the world in one year. She has since had her first thriller published and given quite the TED Talk on cultural differences and how we are the same.
Amy Tan on where creativity hides. Another talk on creativity – can you see where my focus has been lately!
Karen Thompson Walker on the age of miracles and the connection between fear and the imagination. Creativity and fear seem to be close cousins, at least in my mind. Karen’s talk is as beautiful as her first novel, The Age of Miracles.
Author, poet and publisher Chris Abani on Africa and humanity. Still relevant over ten years later, Abani’s talk will move you to tears.
Angela Lee Duckworth from her popular book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to study resilience in children – what makes some kids overcome overwhelming odds, abuse or neglect and go on to be successful adults while other children can never seem to move past the pain. Grit goes further than resilience delving into commitments we make and can keep for years to come. It’s a brilliant talk that will have you reconsidering all you thought you understood about showing up.
Amy Cuddy author of Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges gives a motivating talk on “You’re Body Language Shapes Who You Are” – she taught me how helpful it is to do the Superwoman stance before any important meeting. A must listen to TED Talk for women!
Do you have a favorite TED Talk? Share in the comments!
