Posts Categorized: Speakers

by Kacey Wherley, Founder & Director

create (cre•ate)
⁃ to bring (something) into existence
⁃ to make or produce (something)

When you think “creative,” you may think of painting, drawing, or design. But the act of creating goes way beyond that. To create is to do something new. For TEDxGrandviewAve 2014, we want to dig deeper and explore what it’s really like to create.

Creation isn’t always a new piece of art, construction of a new building, or a global revolution of ideas. It’s all of those things, plus more. It’s thinking in a new way. It’s taking what we all thought we knew, and creating a different perspective. Creating really is what you want it to be.

How did you come up with the theme?

Pittsburgh was built by creators like Carnegie and Warhol. A new breed of creation has taken over and the city’s on the rise again. Every time I look online, there is a new development project, a new restaurant, a new company getting a national award, a new idea being built – whether it be on land or in the cloud. Last year, we explored the Edge of Innovation. We dove into some really deep issues, and learned a lot about potential medical, social and industrial technologies. We even looked at how a local mayor is innovating his town.

For 2014, I knew I wanted the audience to explore the subject of creating. Not necessarily being creative, but taking that step to create. I went back and forth with words and phrases. On a trip to visit family in Ohio, my Mom and I were driving and discussing the next event. I told her my thoughts about the new theme but that I just couldn’t find the right words to fully embrace what the event would be about. As I sat there and rambled on and on, my Mom said, “What about…Dare to Create.”

It hit me – I liked it. I really, really liked it. But, I thought – did my Mom just explain my own words better than me? And I kept thinking that. The team kept brainstorming and we kept asking friends for suggestions in every conversation. But one kept sticking…Dare to Create. We decided that would be our message to the world from Pittsburgh in 2014.

One lesson I learned from this part of the event – Mom really does know best.