TEDx The Creative Spark

I was invited to the TEDx event held at the Winter Garden Theatre by Jenny Zoe Casey. I had seen several TED videos on YouTube so I had some idea of what to expect. I sat in the back row of the theater because I love to watch camera men at work. Tiny lights sparkled like stars on the ceiling as the house lights dimmed. I found out during the introduction that TED stood for Technology, Entertainment and Design. The Theater was jam packed with creative people from all over Central Florida. Upstairs between sessions everyone was encouraged to socialize and discuss the talks. Mark Baratelli of thedailycity.com was there along with Scottie Campbell from the Orlando Opera. Anna McCambridge and her husband Marabou Thomas said hello as we shuffled off to the next session. As I was considering a sketch, a young female artist introduced herself. She used to work at Universal as a caricature artist. We talked about art and how caricatures are often watered down in the parks so people can accept it as a likeness. She loved being able to truly exaggerate features but if a costumer said, “My nose isn’t that large!” She would be in trouble. She had to walk a fine line to “nail” each sketch. It was thrilling to discuss my own sketches to an artist that shared the same challenges.

After the introductions a video was shown which I had seen before. The video featured Eric Whitachre who orchestrated a virtual choir, 2000 voices strong. What was astounding was that voices from around the globe were brought together. People have an innate need to reach out to each other. People from truly isolated places found connection to the project as well as urban dwellers. The internet is truly a new creative frontier. I was equally inspired by the way creatives from all over Central Florida gathered to share stories of their creative spark. People were connecting, sharing and inspiring each other. Creativity isn’t something only found in the isolation of an artists studio. It is found in conversation and the simple human desire to share. One persons creative spark can inspire others.