What Is Innovation? | Tina Zita | TEDxSacredHeartCHS

Summary

The speaker reflects on the concept of innovation, initially associating it with grand technological achievements like robots and VR. However, they later realize that innovation is more about the journey, curiosity, and persistence, drawing inspiration from Einstein’s ten-year process between discoveries. They discuss how innovation can be found in small moments, everyday creativity, and remixing existing ideas. Through personal experiences in education, photography, and family, the speaker emphasizes that anyone can be an innovator by embracing curiosity, learning from failures, and celebrating small successes along the way.

Takeaways

• 🤖 Innovation can be seen in various forms, from advanced technology like robots and VR headsets to older inventions like the light bulb.
• 🧠 The speaker realized they didn’t have a clear understanding of what innovation meant to them and started to reflect on the concept.
• 📚 Innovation is more about the journey and process, as shown by Einstein’s 10 years of pondering between his major discoveries.
• 🎓 Innovation is not just about creating new technology but can happen in everyday actions, such as improving education methods.
• 🎨 Passion and curiosity are key drivers of innovation, and this can be seen in different fields like photography, music, and sports.
• 🚀 Small moments matter on the journey of innovation, and even minor successes, like perfecting a hand-lettering project, can be celebrated.
• 💡 Sparks of innovation come from everyday connections, such as conversations with friends, brainstorming sessions, or exposure to new ideas through technology.
• 📱 Many innovations are built on previous ideas, as seen in the evolution of smartphones or how Mark Ronson describes remixing existing concepts.
• 🌳 Innovation is also about adapting old knowledge to new situations, like the speaker’s grandfather transforming farming techniques to work in a small backyard.
• ⏸️ Pausing to reflect is crucial for innovation, as taking time to step away from routine allows creativity and new ideas to surface.

Q & A

What common images of innovation are presented at the start of the script?

The speaker mentions a fancy white robot from tech shows, a VR headset, and even something as old-school as a light bulb.

How did the speaker initially perceive innovation?

The speaker initially saw innovation as grand moments, such as advanced technology like robots and VR, without considering its broader, personal relevance.

What was the speaker’s realization about their understanding of innovation?

The speaker realized they didn't have a clear understanding of what innovation meant to them and had only used the term because it sounded cool and was commonly mentioned.

How did Einstein’s journey inspire the speaker’s view of innovation?

The speaker was inspired by the fact that Einstein spent 10 years between two major discoveries, showing that innovation is more about the journey and persistence rather than a singular, immediate breakthrough.

What personal examples does the speaker provide to relate to innovation?

The speaker relates innovation to their passions for education and photography, as well as the interests of their brothers in music, sports, and design.

Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of small moments in the innovation process?

The speaker argues that innovation often consists of small successes, such as completing a hand-lettering project, which signal progress and learning rather than just celebrating big breakthroughs.

What example does the speaker give from architecture to explain creative sparks in innovation?

The speaker references Gaudí’s work in Barcelona, where he used smashed tea cups and plates to create iconic architectural designs, showing how small creative sparks can lead to innovation.

How does the speaker view the role of technology and social media in innovation?

The speaker sees technology and social media as powerful tools that enable global connections, allowing people to share and apply innovative ideas across different contexts, such as education.

What is the significance of the '100-day project' to the speaker’s view of innovation?

The speaker participated in a photography challenge called the '100-day project' on Instagram, which helped them realize the importance of daily creative practice and learning from others through social media interaction.

What does the speaker believe is the hardest part of the innovation process?

The hardest part of the innovation process for the speaker is learning to pause, reflect, and allow for creativity to spark, as they tend to get caught up in a busy, fast-paced lifestyle.