who lived in a communist country for a
modest family like hers living under a
totalitarian regime meant getting very
creative with very little resources the
electricity would go out every evening
and they will have to queue for hours in
the freezing cold for a small piece of
bread despite everything the little girl
was as happy as she could be surrounded
by her family and her friends she
created her own world where none of the
tragic events unfolding around her
existed she would enter the fabulous
kingdom of creativity every evening
because no electricity meant candlelight
and you know candle lights are magic
they sparkled her imagination and
allowed her to draw the most amazing
stories using her hands and the shadows
on the wall until one day before turning
six the little girl started school
feeling that she should share the fruits
of her artistic passion with the world
she decided to bring her creative
drawings into the classroom she was
laughed at by her classmates and the
teacher said that this could not be the
work of a child this nonsense has to
stop immediately said the teacher
slapping her face in front of her
colleagues or otherwise she would report
her and her family to the authorities
and they would all end up in prison
you see drawings like hers were a real
threat to the Communist Party’s ideology
because they represented what communism
despised the most namely the freedom of
speech and
depression deeply hurt by the teachers
reaction and very much afraid that she
would put her family in great danger
the little girl decided that day to kill
creativity and as of then she would self
censor the shape of her art and the size
of her dreams the wonderful castles and
the magical creatures would turn into
grey dark communists industrial
buildings and for the years to come she
would do everything to just fit in
secretly hoping to escape this prison
like environment one day years later the
opportunity to embark on an
extraordinary journey presented itself
the grown-up girl decided to take a big
step and move to a faraway land with
beautiful mountains and crystal clear
Lakes her heart was filled with joy
leaving the past behind
she felt that everything was possible
again however upon her arrival the
beautiful landscapes started slowly
fading away unveiling a cold world
inhabited by very critical people it
soon became clear that her experience
and her diplomas were worthless in his
new world
she was mercilessly judged a second-hand
citizen who did not belong there
rejected and alone she felt very sad the
same sadness she felt when she was 6 and
she decided to kill creativity was this
how freedom was supposed to taste was
this the ultimate proof that she is not
going to fit anywhere tortured by
herself mistrust and poisoned by a sense
of bitter resignation she stopped the
contact with the outside world rarely
leaving her apartment and barely talking
to anybody
her existential
xiety became so present she wished
herself dead and then it happened that
terrible feeling of despair little a
colossal fight response inside her she
came to the sudden recognition that her
life could not end up like this it was
an epiphany like moment that made her
realize that it is time to start
believing that magic can happen with or
without candle lights it was time to
acknowledge that life is not about
fitting in and ever since that day she
let her creativity run wild and went on
to create wonderful things and live the
life she always wanted to this girl grew
up to be the woman standing in front of
you today and I’m standing here because
I would like to share an important
message and the moral of my story
creativity is the world’s most
underrated resource we need to stop
killing it as you’ve seen in my story
creativity says me twice as a child it
kept me safe from the gruesomeness of
communism as a young immigrant it gave
me the confidence to start making bold
decisions like becoming the working
mother in Switzerland or being an
entrepreneur judgment days similar to
the ones I have experienced are
happening every day all over the world
billions of novel ideas and
extraordinary dreams are crushed
preventing people of all ages colors and
nationalities to fulfill their potential
so the question is how can we stop this
how can we invite more creativity into
our lives
a few years ago I came across a
fascinating research on human behavior
done by Stanford professor BJ Fogg he
argues that only three things can change
human
a view on the long run option a have an
epiphany option B change your
environment or option C take baby steps
I wish I knew this 20 years ago it turns
out that making very small changes and
repeating them daily eventually lead to
lasting incredible results so if you’d
like to join me
bring more creativity into the world
here is a tiny habit recipe commit to
perform a daily creative act for 5
minutes
ideally right after an existing habit
and congratulate yourselves with a well
done set out loud afterwards
starting tomorrow when you’re brushing
your teeth in the morning imagine you’re
a superhero what would your superhero do
what would he or she say which
adventures would they embark on if they
would have all the time and resources in
the world or maybe are not into
reflective toothbrushing how about
spending the time in the morning when
waiting for the bus or commuting by
train look outside the window at
something you see every day it can be a
building a tree a street sign it doesn’t
matter
imagine it through a different light you
will be surprised where creativity can
take you if there is no judgment and
there are no limits if you make
creativity a habit by staying true to
your creative daily act you will stop
trying to find yourselves in the
presence of everyday life you will start
experiencing playfulness wonder beauty
and love in ways unseen before you will
gently retrain your brain to look at the
world with childlike wonder again you
will start finding creative solutions to
your life’s most pressing challenges and
the best thing of all all that creative
energy you will be generating will be
continuously released into the world
making it
better place thank you all very much
[Applause] [Music]