For my last blogpost in November, and with the deadline suddenly very close, I decided not to overthink what activity to choose. Instead, I made myself a TED Talk evening, letting myself wander, research, and explore until I found talks that could spark something meaningful. And surprisingly, I found a lot. Five talks, all circling around creativity, identity, and what it means to navigate the design world with many interests at once.
The art of being yourself by Caroline McHugh
McHugh talks about identity as something you grow into, not something you force. Her reminder that we spend too much time comparing ourselves to others felt painfully accurate. Comparison is constant in design. This talk made me reflect on how designers form their identities in a field that almost encourages fragmentation. It helped me see that having many interests doesn’t weaken identity, it shapes it. Identity in a multidisciplinary industry isn’t about choosing one path, it’s about understanding your own mix.
The power of creative constraints by Brandon Rodriguez
Rodriguez argues that constraints aren’t the boundaries of creativity, but the foundation of it. Drawing from engineering and scientific history, he shows how many major discoveries were made by accident and how those “mistakes” revealed new constraints that pushed innovation even further. In science, limits don’t shut creativity down, they activate it. And the same is true in design. As someone who often feels overwhelmed by endless possibilities, this talk reminded me that constraints, whether tools, time, or even my own abilities, can actually guide ideas instead of restricting them.
Embrace the Shake by Phil Hansen
In art school, Phil Hansen developed a hand tremor that made his signature pointillist drawings impossible. He felt lost, like his entire creative identity had collapsed, until a neurologist told him something simple: embrace the limitation. That shift changed everything. Instead of fighting the shake, Hansen used it, exploring new materials, motions, and techniques. His story shows that creativity doesn’t vanish when a skill becomes shaky; it evolves. And for generalist designers pressured to “excel” at everything, this is a powerful reminder: working with our limitations, not against them, can open up completely new creative paths.
Where good ideas come from by Steven Johnson
People often credit their ideas to individual “Eureka!” moments. But Johnson shows that history tells a different story. He takes us on a fascinating tour, from the “liquid networks” of London’s coffee houses to Charles Darwin’s long, slow hunch, all the way to today’s high-velocity web. Creativity, he explains, emerges from the slow collision of many influences rather than sudden inspiration. Again, an impulse connected to exploring multiple interests, showing that a broad mix of experiences can be the fertile ground where ideas grow and intersect.
How to build your creative confidence by David Kelley
Is your school or workplace divided into creatives versus practical people? Kelley challenges this notion, emphasizing that creativity isn’t reserved for a chosen few. Drawing from his legendary design career and personal experiences, he shares how confidence to create comes from taking small risks repeatedly. Throughout my life, my biggest obstacle has been people discouraging my ideas, but I am learning that I have to ignore them to succeed. Kelley’s message resonates deeply for anyone navigating multiple roles or interests: creativity grows when you trust yourself and keep experimenting, even in the face of doubt.
In the past, watching TED Talks often felt like a task (assigned by teachers or professors), something to check off a list. This evening, however, it was entirely different. I watched out of genuine curiosity, letting myself be inspired, challenged, and surprised. Sometimes, the most valuable insights come when we follow our own impulses and let ideas find us.
Disclaimer: This blog post was written with the help of AI for better grammar and correct spelling.
