Last year I never got a chance to write about TEDxManchester 2018, partly because I tend to take pictures with my camera and its the new venue (Bridgewater hall) policy not to allow cameras in.
Regardless I went to TedXManchester 2019 (without my DSLR), and thought its about time I got back into blogging some of the best talks, especially as they are put on youtube now. Because they are on youtube so quickly, I created a playlist with the best TedXManchester videos. There are a number missing and its worth saying the list is highly opinioned. Theres some key ones from previous years gone by including my own and Carrie’s super popular one.
But I wanted to give credit to the best ones this year and last year.
2018
Last year the outstanding talk was form Vikas Shah’s How to save your own life.
A year later Vikas tweet is a perfect description.
Today is #TimetoTalk #TimeToTalkDay and back in February 2018, I stood on stage at @TEDx @TEDxManchester and shared my own journey of anxiety, depression, suicide attempts and recovery. It's important we talk and normalise #mentalhealth challenges – https://t.co/TdH5PvNJZm pic.twitter.com/PLIEcuNGti
— Vikas Shah MBE (@MrVikas) February 7, 2019
I felt the talk was extremely brave, powerful and honest. The mental health message was powerful.
2019
This years outstanding talks were difficult to pick one. I was torn but decided although everyone loved Ged Kings talk I wasn’t super keen. I found Andrew Szydlo and Jon Carmichael’s fantastic but its not online yet so decided Katherine Ormerod spoke to me like Emma Harvey’s “Whoops, I changed the world” at TedxBradford.
Although I don’t let social media run my life, and use it a certain way which bother some. I find the continuously running theme of living life with these digital tools interesting. There was a talk just before with Chris Bailey (this is from TedxLiverpool) which was good but felt too preachy for my palliate. As I write this blog post in a coffee shop, I’m watching a woman taking a selfie with her tiny dog to a social network. She took about 12 photos before finally settling on one to post. I find the whole thing strange as posted about before, and I wonder how many are in control, following fashion, doing so out of peer/social pressure, etc…
