I really enjoy watching a lot of YouTube channels these days as my TV has a subscription service that allows me to view subscribed channels free of all the garbage normally on the videos as well as eliminating the advertising. One of the channels I enjoy is called "TED Talks". Basically a TED talk is any lecture or presentation that promotes interesting thought and discussion. They range from scientific, cultural, social, design or whatever the speaker has to say that has intellectual merit. I believe as a writer, I should be as open as possible to new thoughts, ideas, philosophies and that I need to be able to analyse, interpret and be receptive to as much information as I can consume. I don't believe that creativity is simply an 'out' process and that I require a great deal of 'in' in order to be creative. That, and I just love thinking about contentious and interesting issues, whether I believe in their merit or not. The act of thinking about them, of engaging my mind on topics outside my bias and beliefs, only serves to make me a better writer. In that light, I found this particular TED Talk to be quite relevant to modern-day writing and the portrayal of female protagonists. Now, I must point out that I don't agree with some of his conclusions and I feel that he is a bit blinkered and biased in his approach, but I still feel he has some very valid points that are worth considering, and discussing, whether you agree with them or not.
