3 Steps to Becoming a Creative Genius | Braeden Ethier | TEDxVancouverCollege

So, first of all, who am I? Well folks, my name is Trevor X, and I'm a SoundCloud artist from Vancouver College. Now, because I said SoundCloud, you're probably wondering if I'm legit or not. So, to prove it, here is me at my first concert. So, as you can see, I'm a natural. But more than just music, I'm someone who loves to create and push my limits of creativity. Here is me at Vancouver College's Dragons Band presenting my white noise machine company. And here are some bracelets I designed for a jewelry company I founded with my brother in 2016. So, as an individual, I'm passionate about understanding the processes of creativity. The reason for my passion being that creativity is an essential part of all sectors. Silicon Valley startups need creativity. Vaccines need creativity. Problem solvers need creativity. Society needs creativity. So, through trial and error, along with research, I'm here today to present to you three steps of how to be a creative genius. So, right off the bat, can I get a show of hands of people that think they're pretty creative? That's good. So, step one is to accept the fact that you're all not creative, by definition. To confirm my assumption, let's take a look at the Google definition of creativity. The use of imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work. So, let me ask you another question. Who thinks they can create something new using just their imagination and original ideas with no external influences? You got one? Well, not me. So, this basic understanding will lead us to believe that creativity is something solely based on genetics. You either have it or you don't. However, in the real world, creativity can be defined as simply generating new ideas with no limitations on how you get to that point of creation. Which leads me to step two, which is to change your definition of creativity. To create something new using just your imagination and original ideas is something truly special that the vast majority of us are incapable of doing. So, rather than being bound to Google standards, it's time to change your definition. The definition I use is the use of gathering influences or ideas and combining them to create something new, unique, and personal to you. So, what I mean by this is to simply be resourceful in your surroundings. Now, many of you probably thought like I did, with the perception that all ideas come from a light bulb in someone's mind. But the truth is that every amazing creative thing you've ever seen or idea you've ever heard can be broken down into smaller ideas that existed before. A car. A car is a combination of an engine and wheels, two ideas that existed before the invention of a car. Now, while Shakespeare is known for his creative writing style, he's also known for borrowing from Latin and Greek authors. The story of Hamlet is actually inspired from an old Scandinavian tale, and Romeo and Juliet comes from an Italian writer writing at the same time as Shakespeare. Another example is this speech. I gathered information and ideas from online resources and books, integrated my personal experience, and now I'm standing in front of you. Now, step three is simply learning from all these real-life examples and all the real-life examples in the world and putting this new definition to use by gathering ideas. So, take in all positive influences and ideas you see in the real world and apply them to your work. However, it's important to gather ideas you like, topics that feed your passion, because those are the ideas you'll be able to truly benefit from. I first came across the concept of gathering ideas from a great book called Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon. In this book, it shows how stealing one idea is conquering, but stealing as many ideas as you can and combining them, that that makes you a creative genius. So, rather than running away from external ideas, embrace all influence. And now, I'll end my speech with this advice. If you want to be a creator, you must see ideas currently in the world as ingredients ready to fill your mind. So, get a notebook and gather as many ideas as you can. Thank you very much.