I’m a big fan of the TED conference. Since I stumbled across the TED | Talks web site, I’ve watched several amazing individuals deliver their thoughts on a variety of topics including culture, technology and education.

One of my favorite TED Talks is by Sir Ken Robinson. His presentation is called : Do schools kill creativity? His thesis is that we are educating individuals out of their creative capacities. He quotes Picasso as saying, "All children are born artists. The problem is to remain an artist as we grow up."

There are times that I wish I were more of creative person. I live on the account management side of my business; I’m more adept at relationship building, strategy and logical thinking. When I consider campaigns or marketing strategies, I rely on our creative staff to help formulate the message in a unique and exciting way.

Watching this piece by Sir Ken Robinson I think back to my days in pre-school with finger paints and music. It would be interesting to see how different the world would be if our educational system focused on creativity and expression rather than on standardized thinking and conformity.

This piece is just under 20 minutes long but Sir Ken is an excellent speaker and very engaging and funny so it passes rather quickly. Check it out and then browse the other great speakers. I’m sure you’ll learn something new.

Filed under: Education, Jamey Shiels, Miscellaneous, New Discoveries, Social Media Marketing, Strategy