A few weeks ago I was invited to speak to an assembled group of educators, artists and youth workers with a passion for education and effecting change in their communities and wider society.

My talk was around the theme “Is mainstream success a desirable thing?.” It was tailored to the specific audience but had wide ranging themes which speak to any creative person, entrepreneur or passionate person wrestling with what to do to, and who to partner with, to ensure sure that their vision or ideas are seen and adopted by as many people as possible to change the world.

These two tweets probably best sum up what the talk was about.

I can’t provide a transcript as it was designed to be something heard, experienced and driven by audience interaction with but it was well received so the 8 sources that I built the talk around are below.

They are in no particular order, as the format of talk was non-linear and inspired by the ‘Choose your own adventure books’ that I read as a kid in the 80s

Let the quotes begin. Highlights are the specific parts used in my talk.

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So, in summary:  Know who you are and why you are motivated to do the work you do or create the art that you create. Then do it. Find the others who passionately believe in that vision/world view and partner with them. Mainstream success – however you choose to interpret it- or recognition may well be a side effect of that but unhappiness and disillusionment lies in having it as the main goal.

Sources/Inspiration (No, I haven’t Harvard ref’d)

• Start with Why, Simon Sinek  (Chapter 3, The Golden Circle)
• The Radical Vision of Toni Morrison, The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/12/magazine/the-radical-vision-of-toni-morrison.html?partner=socialflow&smid=tw-nytmag&_r=0

• Cecile Emeke isn’t worried about Hollywood, The New York Times magazine

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/20/magazine/cecile-emeke-isnt-worried-about-hollywood.html

• UK Hip Hop Ed manifesto, Art of Curious blog

http://artofcurious.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/uk-hiphoped-manifesto.html