How humility, courage, and empathy help navigate the creative process: Seung Chan Lim at TEDxPSU

Summary

Seung Chan Lim shares his journey from information technology to art school, exploring the nature of creativity and its impact on personal growth. He emphasizes the importance of a beginner's mindset, humility, and empathy in the creative process, illustrating these concepts through experiences in paper folding and acting. Lim concludes by encouraging the audience to embrace uncertainty and courage in their own creative journeys, highlighting empathy as the core of all creative endeavors.

Takeaways

• 🎨 The speaker emphasizes the importance of the creative process, sharing personal experiences from both art and acting to illustrate the concept of 'going further'.
• 🔄 The transition from information technology to art school was a significant step for the speaker, symbolizing a departure from problem-solving to exploring creativity.
• 🤔 The challenge of 'folding whatever you want' represents the struggle with creative freedom and the need to let go of predefined goals.
• 👵 The encounter with the girl in the art class highlights the value of a beginner's mindset, characterized by humility and a willingness to experiment without a clear outcome.
• 🤷‍♀️ The realization that making is not just about producing a product but about engaging in a process with humility and confidence is a pivotal moment in the speaker's journey.
• 🎭 The acting class experience reveals that acting is not about merely telling someone else's story but about having the courage to tell one's own story through performance.
• 😢 The emotional breakthrough during the acting rehearsal underscores the power of personal connection and empathy in bringing authenticity to a performance.
• 🧠 The speaker concludes that empathy is at the core of all creative processes, allowing for a deeper understanding of both the self and others.
• 🔁 The creative process is described as reciprocal, where the act of giving (empathy) is also an act of receiving, enriching both the creator and the audience.
• 🚀 The speaker challenges the audience to consider their own journey, encouraging them to embrace humility in uncertainty and courage in certainty, with empathy as a guiding force.

Q & A

What was the main focus of Seung Chan Lim's research?

Seung Chan Lim's research focused on understanding what it means to make something, how the creative process works, and why it is important in our lives.

Why did Seung Chan Lim leave the field of information technology to attend art school?

Seung Chan Lim left the field of information technology to attend art school to study both visual and performing arts as part of his research on the creative process.

How old was Seung Chan Lim when he started his graduate school, and how did that make him feel?

Seung Chan Lim was 31 years old when he started his graduate school, which made him feel nervous as he was much older than the other freshman students who were 18.

What was the first assignment Seung Chan Lim encountered in art school, and how did it challenge him?

The first assignment was to properly fold a piece of paper, which initially seemed simple. However, when asked to fold 'whatever you want,' Seung Chan Lim was challenged by the open-ended nature of the task, as he was used to solving problems with clear objectives.

What did Seung Chan Lim learn from observing the girl with a pile of folded objects in the art studio?

Seung Chan Lim learned the importance of having a beginner's mindset and humility from observing the girl. She was not concerned with the end result but was focused on the process of exploring and trying out different folds.

How did the acting class experience change Seung Chan Lim's perspective on acting?

The acting class experience made Seung Chan Lim realize that acting is not just about telling someone else's story but about having the courage to tell your own story through the character.

What was the director's approach to help the student playing Blanche in 'A Streetcar Named Desire'?

The director used a method of asking personal and detailed questions to evoke genuine emotions in the student playing Blanche, which led to a more authentic and powerful performance.

What is the core of all creative processes according to Seung Chan Lim's research?

According to Seung Chan Lim's research, the core of all creative processes is empathy, which involves listening, allowing for surprises, and developing a connection with the materials or characters involved.

How does the process of creating help in understanding oneself, as per Seung Chan Lim's experience?

The process of creating helps in understanding oneself by empathizing with others, which is intrinsically reciprocal. This act of giving, in the context of creativity, is also an act of receiving, leading to self-discovery and a deeper understanding of one's own thoughts and feelings.

What challenge does Seung Chan Lim pose to the audience at the end of his talk?

Seung Chan Lim challenges the audience to reflect on what going further means in their own journey. He encourages them to embrace humility and confidence when unsure of their direction and to have the courage to tell their story when they are sure of it, while never forgetting the role of empathy in this journey.