How To Write a TED Talk (in the shower!)

Do your best ideas come to you in the shower? Mine do. Why fight it? I've found that it's better to just roll with it be prepared. That's why I started keeping dry erase markers in the shower when preparing to present my recent TEDx talk: https://dtube.video/v/benahrens/34djbxv9 First -

Writing, like cooking is a messy process. For the longest time, I tried to do it cleanly and found that engaging in any creative endeavor and expecting to stay clean and sane is a loosing proposition, the very attempt at which will hinder the creativity.

Creativity comes in spurts, and it comes unexpectedly. We go through cycles of intense focus (which often lead to the manifestation of nothing as far as the screen or paper is concerned) only to find that our best ideas flow out of us as soon as we step away from the desk. For me, like for many, this often took place in the shower.

About the TEDx Process

TEDx is a subsidiary of TED.com. In order to give a TEDx Talk you need to either be invited or audition in your area if there are open calls. You can read about the details of the process in my response here: https://steemit.com/alt-news/@acidyo/alt-news-9-ted-talk-about-blockchain-altcoin-gains-since-jan-2017-blockchain-info-now-supports-eth#@benahrens/re-acidyo-alt-news-9-ted-talk-about-blockchain-altcoin-gains-since-jan-2017-blockchain-info-now-supports-eth-20170819t221226381z

Once you land a TED or TEDx Talk, the fun begins: You are either given an 18, a 12 or an 8 minute time slot to share your one message that will have the single biggest impact. I can remember feeling stifled by this overwhelming thought. To make matters worse, my time slot was cut from 18 down to 8 minutes when I was midway through with my draft. However, it is an extremely useful process and the perfect place to start if you really want to hone in on what is important for you to share. Try this as an experiment: "If I only had 8 minutes to share one message, one idea, one takeaway that would benefit/inspire others... what would it be?"

About the creative speech writing (story telling) process

Now that you have your Idea, or seedling of an idea, which is all it takes to get started, you're ready to get messy! Outlining is the fun part. I would encourage you start on paper, postits, index cards or whiteboards. Eventually it will be a back and forth process between child-like graffiti and something more of a linear written outline - here is a link to my actual outline: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MGRUnRQaHARW1j7otgw-7oFIpH5jgL0ILTAl-8DVn4M/edit?usp=sharing

What Makes Story Telling so Hard?

What makes crafting a story so tedious at first is that our minds are inherently non-linear. By this I mean that ideas come to us from every angle and our brains are constantly making extraordinary connections to derive new meaning. But in order to share these insights with others, requires us to assemble these thoughts in a linear (e.g. beginning > middle > end) structure so that they can be presented. - This is why the back and forth process of linear "desk work" and creative shower-power jam-sessions is so important. THE KEY IS TO GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE, PHYSICALLY - If you are in the shower, turn the water cold. If you are sitting comfortably at your desk, get up and do pushups and then balance on one leg while scribbling on a white board.

This back and forth process facilitates the stimulation and connection between the left (linear) and right (creative) brain.

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Use a basket ball, tennis ball, beanbag or whatever you can to physically move your body and shift your concentration. You can see in the picture above, I pushed my desk away from the wall which I papered to let my mind run free; aided by juggling pins (bottom right) and an electric drub kit (on the desk) to shake things up when the mind begins to stagnate. The chief cause of stagnation in the mind is a sedentary body.

The Next Step is to Create a Map

As your ideas begin to flow out and you capture them using any available surface - the next step is to begin to see the pattern in the particles of information.

MYTH: THE GREATE MISSCONCEPTION IS THAT YOU NEED TO HAVE THE FULL OVERVIEW BEFORE YOU EVEN BEGIN - This could not be further from the truth.

FACT: The overview will emerge as the creative process is underway. Only when you engage in the process FIRST, much like taking that leap of faith I wrote about in my post here: https://steemit.com/health/@benahrens/leap-before-you-look-practical-insights-on-the-absurdity-of-faith-and-how-to-take-action-aka-just-do-it - will the linear outline and landing points reveal themselves to you later.

The number one piece of advise I could give when crafting a message is to a) get inspired (surround yourself with pictures, people, reminders, etc that inspire you) and b) set-up your environment to capture inspiration the moment it strikes! Even if your naked in the shower.

Additionally there are a lot of great resources. "Talk Like TED" is a great book. Watching the top 20 TED talks is also very helpful. Choose the one that resonates with you best and see where you can mimic the structure (obviously replacing the content with your unique story).

The final thing to remember and purpose of this post is: GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO GET MESSY! Nothing creative was ever done in a totally sterile environment. If you wanna cook an omelette, as they say, "you gotta break some eggs"

Giving yourself permission to write on the walls and make a mess is the #1 hack for stimulating the flow of all your creative abilities.

So run wild, and enjoy the process!