Boost Your Creativity by Watching These Talks And Speeches

7 talks and speeches that will boost your creativity

By Nomali Cele

How do you boost your creativity? In the rat race, it’s easy to get swept up in the day-to-day output and expectations that you end up forgetting the importance of being present and pursuing your interests. These seven talks and speeches will ignite your passion and, hopefully, boost your creativity. Watch all seven talks and speeches, which cover different topics of interest, below.

On the need for a multiplicity

Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is the queen of Ted Talks. Her more famous talk, sampled in a Beyoncé song and turned into a book, “We Should All Be Feminists,” is another important one for creativity. What does your creativity look like when you are approaching it with an inclusive, intersectional and feminist view of the world? In this talk, however, Adichie broaches another subject that’s important — especially in Africa as we begin to find our feet and voices. Here she speaks about the importance of different voices and perspectives.

On healing

Desire Marea is a performing artist and writer living in Johannesburg. And half of a performance duo called FAKA, which they describe as a “counter institution that is meant to shelter everybody who is alienated by mainstream culture.” At Creative Mornings Johannesburg, Desire Marea chose to speak about healing at a series of talks themed “broken.” “We decided if we really wanted to make an impactful change on South African society, at large, we would have to start by influencing culture,” says Marea.

On Truth

Oprah Winfrey is a great orator. The 25 years of her popular and culture-shifting talk show taught you this. But since hanging up her lapel mic and stepping away from the Oprah Winfrey Show, she’s had plenty of opportunities to use her powerful speaking talent (aside from her TV channel, OWN). At the beginning of 2018, Winfrey gave a short but powerful speech at the Golden Globe Awards as she received the Cecil B. de Mille Award, the first woman to get it. She spoke of the importance of seeing people who look like you be honoured and praised and the power of truth.

“What I know for sure is that speaking our truth is the most powerful tool we all have.” – Oprah Winfrey

On knowing your story

Yrsa Daley-Ward is an English author, poet and actor with Nigerian and Jamaican roots. In this talk, Daley-Ward recites a poem about mental health and the time she found her stories. “It’s kind of important to reconnect with the things that make you you, the thing you are passionate about,” she says.

On Courage

Nigerian-American author, online-native and lover alliteration, Luvvie Ajayi, speaks on the importance of discomfort but doing it anyway. Dubbing herself a truth-teller, Ajayi outlines her values as honesty, integrity, justice and shea butter. “With these as my core values, I have to speak the truth, I have no other choice,” says Ajayi.

On Wonder

Watch spoken Word poet Sarah Kay speak about excitement, disappointment, learning and still trying. Kay details her affair and evolution with poetry and how she came to teach others. “Everyone has stories to tell that the rest of us can all learn from,” says Kay. In this talk, Sarah Kay shared that by being open to the world, you discover that there are better things than seeming “cool.” Boost your creativity with her optimistic outlook.

On Accessibility and the internet

The internet facilitates learning, access to information and contacts. Kareem, commonly online as @westindians, is an artist that grew up on the internet sharing ideas, theory and building networks. But outside the internet, the work and strides made online are often derided if at all recognised. “It helps us to mobilise, that’s what scares them. It helps us organise each other, it helps us communicate with each other,” says Kareem of the internet. “The first thing oppressors want to do is to stop you communicating with another oppressed person.”