TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) began in 1984 as a conference to bring together people from those three worlds who wouldn’t ordinarily meet. Today it’s become a gathering of the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers in these fields and beyond, challenging them to share their best ideas and insights in 18 minutes. For years it cost dearly to attend in person — and still does — but last year TED released videos going back to 2004, a huge gift I’ve often enjoyed. During my morning scan today I watched Sir Ken Robinson talk about how most formal education conspires to kill creativity and it made me appreciate even more the few teachers of mine, like Earnest Boaten and John Langdon, who went against that norm and encouraged my creativity to shine through.

The complete archive of more than 200 TED videos is here and you can subscribe here: