Brene Brown is a woman who is smart, funny and insightful at the same time.
Her first TED talk went viral, despite tackling a pretty tough topic: vulnerability. She makes a pretty compelling case that vulnerability is the key to whole hearted living. If you haven’t seen that talk yet, you really should (you can watch it after the break).
In her second TED talk she explains what happened after that experience (which she never expected by the way – the thought of 1,00 people watching her talk already mortified her, let alone the 7 million it turned out t be!). Loads of companies called her to ask her to come give a speech or a talk…but not about vulnerability. That turned out to be a topic Fortune 500 companies did not feel comfortable about.
Instead, these companies wanted to have her talk about innovation, creativity and change. She then says this in the video:
“Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.”
It’s a statement I’ve been chewing on since I saw this talk and I know for a fact she’s right. I’m a writer. Writing requires being vulnerable. It’s not just that my stories are much better when I open myself up and dig deep into my own emotions, it’s also that letting other read what I’ve written is intensely vulnerable. I have never felt more vulnerable as when I sent out a manuscript to a publisher and have a professional look at it. It scared me to death.
This fear of being vulnerable can be paralyzing to a point where you either can’t create, or can’t share your creations with others. It’s what Brene Brown calls shame: that inner voice that tells you you’re not good enough. Creativity demands that you know how to overcome this shame, how to quiet this voice, how to be vulnerable in what you create. It’s not easy, but if you manage to overcome your shame, you will have found your way to creativity, innovation and change.
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What did you think of Brene Brown’s TED talk?
Do you recognize that inner voice of shame?
Speak your mind...