Creating the Future: Why Schools Must Teach Creativity | Defne Balıktay | TEDxYaşamTasarımSchools
Schools should teach creativity because education should go beyond memorizing facts, which can demotivate students. Creativity makes learning more engaging and helps students approach problems from different perspectives, think critically, and find original solutions. It’s not limited to art or music but is essential in science, technology, and everyday life. Many groundbreaking inventions, like the light bulb and smartphones, were born from creative thinking.
To foster creativity, schools need to provide an environment where it can grow. Like math or reading, creativity is a skill that can be taught and developed. Encouraging curiosity and allowing students to ask questions, explore ideas, and tackle open-ended projects are effective ways to nurture it. For example, students could design their own experiments in science or rewrite classic story endings in literature. These activities help students become confident, resilient, and eager to learn.
In a rapidly changing world, critical thinking, adaptability, and imagination are crucial. Creativity equips students with these skills, preparing them to become future leaders and innovators. Therefore, creativity should be at the core of education. Building creative minds in schools is the first step toward building a better world. Defne Balıktay is an energetic and enthusiastic high school freshman. As an active member of her school’s volleyball club, she combines her love for sports with teamwork and discipline, excelling both on and off the court. Known for her friendly and positive personality, Defne enjoys participating in various activities and inspires those around her with her energy.Her dedication to balancing academics and athletics reflects her determination and strong work ethic. Always eager to learn and grow, Defne is a natural team player and a role model among her peers, embodying the qualities of resilience, curiosity, and leadership. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
More from TED
- 11:09Should you avoid situationships? | Shubhi Kohli | TEDxUniversityofManchesterHave you ever shared deep moments with someone, only to be introduced as "just a friend"? Welcome to modern dating, where love is undefined, commitment is blurred, and “situationships” thrive on ambiguity. With research, humor, and real-life insights, Shubhi dives deep into how social media and modern relationship dynamics are shaping our emotional well-being. Are we truly happy with today’s dating culture? And where do we go from here?Shubhi is a final-year psychology student. She has assisted many university professionals on quantitative and qualitative research projects. As psychology is one of her many strong suits.This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- 12:32How winning the lottery doesn't make you happy | Matt Pitcher | TEDxWinchesterWhat really happens when someone wins the lottery? In this thought-provoking TEDx talk, a former financial adviser to the UK National Lottery winners shares powerful, behind-the-scenes stories of sudden wealth. From life-changing joy to personal crisis, these real-life accounts reveal how money can test values, relationships, and identity. Over 25 years, the speaker advised winners from all walks of life—some spent wisely, others lost everything, and a few made truly meaningful choices. With over 36 million UK adults playing the lottery each year, this talk asks: what would you do if you won? And more importantly—how are you already spending your most valuable resources: time and money? Matt is the founder of local BCorp, Altor Wealth. In a previous life he worked with former operator of the National Lottery Camelot to prevent their winners from making big money mistakes. This gave him a unique insight into whether money ever makes us truly happy. Matt passionately believes that life is about connection and supports local community work through his Foundation. In his spare time, he is a father to two promising young adults. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- 13:25The spaces around us and why they matter | Dr Sarah Green | TEDxWinchesterWhat if the spaces we inhabit every day—homes, hospitals, workplaces—are shaping us more than we realise? In this thought-provoking talk, Dr Sarah Green explores how physical and digital environments impact our mood, behaviour, and well-being. From childhood dens to post-Covid workspaces, from beach holidays to hospital waiting rooms, space is never neutral. It whispers, nudges—and sometimes shouts. With insights from design thinking and spatial philosophy, this talk invites us to see space as a co-author in our lives. If we shape it with empathy and intention, we can transform not just how spaces look—but how they make us feel. "Sarah believes passionately that design can make a difference to everyone’s quality of life and has dedicated her 32-year career to this, both as a practitioner working creatively with large and small companies and as academic in the field of brand strategy and marketing. She founded local business Birdhouse studio to share this belief with over 200 children every week and has also had her own colourful print and jewellery work exhibited in galleries across the UK. Her personal passion and research area is interior design, and the how spaces around us can support our well-being. Sarah now teaches media and communications with a specialism in advertising at University of the Arts London. " This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- 14:32Why Positive Thinking Doesn’t Work | Anat Peri | TEDxWesternUNOTE FROM TED: This talk only represents the speaker’s personal views and understanding of the brain, body, and emotions. Several claims in this talk currently lack sufficient scientific support. TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: http://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/tedx_content_guidelines.pdfAnat Peri's journey began in a household where positivity often masked deeper emotional struggles. As a child, Anat found herself in constant battle with the part of her that wanted to fix others while neglecting her own needs. Today, with over 19 years of experience and more than 10,000 hours of training, Anat helps clients reconnect with their true selves through inner child work and modern psychology. Her compassionate approach guides others toward emotional healing and self-realization. Anat Peri's journey began in a household where positivity often masked deeper emotional struggles. As a child, Anat found herself in constant battle with the part of her that wanted to fix others while neglecting her own needs. Today, with over 19 years of experience and more than 10,000 hours of training, Anat helps clients reconnect with their true selves through inner child work and modern psychology. Her compassionate approach guides others toward emotional healing and self-realization. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- 10:27TEACHING LIFE SKILLS FOR REAL-WORLD SUCCESS | Amatullah Abdulrahman | TEDxYouth@FuntajIntlSchoolThis speech will help you see why academic grades alone are not enough to prepare you for real-world success and why hands-on experience, life skills, and apprenticeship should be essential parts of your education. By listening, you’ll be inspired to rethink learning as more than just passing exams, and start taking practical steps toward becoming truly ready for life beyond the classroom. This is Amatullah Abdulrahman, a 12-year-old speaker with a bold vision to transform education. She is on a mission to challenge the outdated systems that prioritise grades over growth, and to shift focus from rote learning to real-life readiness. Inspired by personal experiences and observations, she advocates for an education system that values life skills, hands-on learning, and apprenticeships as much as academic achievement. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- 18:59Empowering Next Generation of Healthcare innovators | Dr. Rasha Msallam | TEDxPristinePrivateSchoolThis inspiring speech encourages young minds to embrace curiosity, resilience, and purpose as they navigate their personal and professional journeys in science and innovation. Drawing from the speaker’s own unconventional path from dentistry to biotech, it delivers ten powerful lessons—from embracing failure as data and thinking beyond the lab, to prioritizing ethics, equity, and ommunication. The core message is clear: you don’t need to be a genius or wear a lab coat to change the world—you just need the courage to ask the right questions and the drive to serve others. With humility and hope, the speaker reminds us that the future of healthcare and innovation lies not just in technology, but in the hands of those who lead with purpose and compassion. Dr. Rasha Msallam is a pluri-disciplinary scientist, entrepreneur, and science communicator whose career spans dentistry, biomedical research, and biotech consulting worldwide. She began her journey as a dentist, establishing her own clinic in Syria before pursuing a PhD in Immunology at Paris Descartes (Sorbonne-Cité). Her academic path led her to A*STAR Singapore, where she worked on pioneering projects that explored the origins of the immune system in human and lab models, mechanisms of allergic diseases in newborns, and precision medicine strategies for cancer patients. Beyond her scientific contributions, Dr. Msallam has played influential roles in fostering gender equity in STEM. As an active member of Singapore Women in Science (SgWIS), she organized impactful initiatives to support women researchers and co-led key discussions at the Gender Summit 2018, amplifying the voices of women in biomedical research. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
