On Saturday I watched part of the 1st TEDxBerkeley via their livestream and it was a phenomenal experience. TEDxBerkeley was curated by UC Berkeley, Jessica Mah, and the executive team from the Berkeley Computer Science Undergraduate Association.
My highlights:
As someone that has fallen in love with photography over the last few years, I listened intently as Rick Smolan, author and photographer, described how he followed his passion during college. I loved hearing about 24 hours in Cyberspace and The Obama Time Machine projects and thought about their social benefit as everyday people shared aspects of their lives through photography.
I enjoyed listening to Ross Evans of Xtracyle talk about Holishift and how we can combine what we love doing with making positive change in the world. I am considering ways that I could use my passions to benefit others.
When Eric Lewis came on stage and described his music as Rockjazz, I didn’t know what to expect. As he began to play on piano, I was simply mesmerized at his talent and his unique style. I had never seen anyone play the wood & wires of a baby grand before. His rendition of Breaking Benjamin’s The Diary of Jane was eye-opening.
When Ross Evans returned with his lasso to accompany Eric, I was curious to see what would happen next. As Eric began playing Coldplay’s Clocks, a chill went through my body. Simultaneously, Ross began doing tricks with the lasso, jumping through it, hopping on one foot and moving it up and down through his body. It was the perfect ending to a well-organised, extremely successful day.
Ross Evans ended his talk with this quote by Howard Thurman, that should be the mantra for each of our lives.
Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.
TEDxBerkeley definitely lived up to its tagline – doing the unprecedented.
I can’t wait to watch TEDxBerkely next year – perhaps in person – this event has motivated me to make a serious effort to attend TED in the near future.
Life is too short not to try and improve our world.