But did you ever think to watch TED Talks to improve your life?

There are a multiplicity of TED Talks on precisely that topic: speakers who present methods for you to make your own life more fulfilling and better. These are kind of “required viewing” for TED, the sort of talks that can change your life, if you let them.

Simon Sinek’s talk on how leaders inspire action, for example, is one of the top-viewed TED Talks of all time. His lesson is very simple, and with the use of one simple mantra, he changed the way many viewed those who lead.

Another seminal Talk was given by the affable and extremely well-spoken Sir Ken Robinson. That’s right, he’s been knighted, so he knows what he’s talking about, and what he’s talking about is the idea that schools kill our creativity from a young age. This talk is the most viewed TED Talk, and combines both humor and constructive innovation.

Finally, we come to a Talk from someone we all know of: the legendary Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Computers. In this Talk, Jobs tells us how to live a quality life, chase dreams, and feel contented with ourselves with our time on Earth.

So there you have it, three of the top-viewed TED Talks that everyone in the world should see at one point or another. Be sure to make time for these wonderful nuggets of information, and also make sure to buy your tickets for TEDxChapmanU, on June 4^th!

However, we often overlook how music is neurologically woven into our brains, as we don’t usually associate our brains with music, but instead our hearts. Bobby McFerrin, whose name might sound familiar if you’ve heard the song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” shows that the brain and music are tied much closer than we think in this very short, very entertaining TED Talk.

There’s a lot of research on what influence music has on the emotional parts of the brain, but, pointed out by McFerrin in this video, the problem-solving parts of the brain are engaged by music as well.

In this lengthy, but poignant, TEDTalk, we’re able to get a glimpse inside the brain of one of the most successful men in the world, but not about his business or his charity. Bill Gates’ genius lies in the fact that he is a problem-solver; he innovates no matter what he does, and his new passion is helping solve our energy crisis.

Bill Gates, and this Talk in particular, perfectly embodies the core of what TED is: innovators getting together, sharing ideas worth spreading, and changing the world.

Branson embodies completely the ideal of an icon: he managed to transform his small record store chain into the thriving, multi-faceted business we all know today, spanning many countries, industries and even transportation methods. This has lead to much humanitarian effort on the behalf of Branson, and he’s now valued as the 4^th richest person in the United Kingdom. His newest venture is Virgin Fuels, which aims to tackle the prospect of global warming with providing alternative energies to the masses.

In this TED talk by Branson, he discusses his transportation/web/mobile/music empire, and reveals how he came back from low points in his career. Those of you who own your own business, or aspire to, will find this truly valuable, and it’s truly a reflection of what TEDxChapmanU’s Icons, Geniuses, and Mavericks means.

Burstein delves into the stories of other creative thinkers, like filmmaker Mira Nair, writer Richard Ford, sculptor Richard Serra, and photographer Joel Meyerowitz, to show the possible hardship of a life based on creativity, but also the reward of creating in the face of challenge, or adversity. It’s the perfect motivation to get out there and follow your dreams, or embrace doing what you love if you’re lucky enough to have already found it.

Below are some of our favorite photographs from the day. To view more pictures from the event, visit our Flickr photostream.

Henrik Fisker talked about how "New Isn't Easy"

Dr. Frank Frisch shared "Just Say Yes to Steroids"

Erin Gruwell talked about "Becoming a Catalyst for Change"

Ryan Heuser shared his talk, "A Common Thread"

Shelene Bryan talked about "Redefining Icons"

Stay tuned and check our website in the coming weeks for videos of all of our speakers’ TEDxChapmanU talks!

Brian May (Queen): Prior to becoming a key part of Queen, May studied astrohpysics at Imperial College, London. In 1971, before adventuring into the world of rock’n'roll, May began work on his thesis about the formation of zodiacal dust clouds. Simple, right? 36 legendary years later, May would finally hand in that thesis entitled, “Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud.” He would graduate with his Ph.D. in astrophysics a year later and has since accepted a post as Visting Researcher at Imperial College.

Queen – I Want It All

Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine): Known for his unique guitar stylings and politically-charged music, Morello’s extensive resume also includes the prestigious accomplishment of Harvard graduate. After graduating high school with honors, he enrolled at Harvard as a political science student and later graduated with a BA in Social Studies. Since then Morello has used his education and his passion for activism to fuel his music. Morello co-founded the political group, Axis of Justice, with System of a Down’s Serj Tankian and is still going strong musically.

Rage Against The Machine – Guerrilla Radio

Art Garfunkel (Simon & Garfunkel): After writing and recording throughout high school with Paul Simon, and even landing a record contract, Garfunkel decided to go to college looking “to find some way to make a ‘decent’ living.” He would earn his BA in Art History at Columbia College, and later earned his Masters in Mathematics at Columbia University. He would return to music to become one of the most important parts of the folk movement and go on to have a lasting solo career.

Simon & Garfunkel – I Am A Rock

This is just a small handful of rock icons who are also geniuses in other aspects of life besides music. Don’t be surprised to find that the people behind the loud music are often times more than meets the eye.

When we think of works of art by geniuses like Vermeer and Da Vinci the word “masterpiece” comes to mind. Deemed untouchable by history’s standards, it takes a true maverick to put a twist on these iconic artworks. Yet Dorothee Golz and Guy Laramee are two of today’s artist that have done just that – taken iconic pieces of history and transformed them into new, unique artworks with a message and success of their own.

Dorothee Golz: An unconventional artist, Golz has taken the iconic faces of subjects from well-known works of art and transported them into the 21^st century, complete with digitally modernized bodies and environments. She’s creating quite a buzz in the art world, as people commend her for taking a chance and daring to be different. Her work, while not just pushing the boundaries of creativity, creates a much needed interest and link to the original masterpieces throughout history.

Guy Laramee: An artist who is rethinking the typical canvas, Laramee’s artwork consist of carving beautiful landscapes into the pages of classic books. While some may say it’s a cardinal sin to take a knife to a book, a true maverick knows that creativity has no boundaries. And when you see the wonderful environments he creates, it’s hard to deny that beauty can be discovered in the most unique and presumed untouchable places. According to Laramee, all of his works are based upon the idea that “ultimate knowledge could very well be an erosion instead of an accumulation.” Spoken like a true maverick, don’t you think?

Watch his TED Talk from February of 2006:

Do you agree with Sir Ken Robinson? Share your thoughts below.

While we typically think of celebrities or those in the limelight when “icon” comes to mind, there are plenty of iconic figures all around us that contribute positively to the community every single day.

In this post, we would like to spotlight a couple of icons next door: two of our speakers, and one local Orange County group, Team Kids.

Erin Gruwell: A teacher that fostered a movement.

The first icon next door (and TEDxChapmanU speaker) we’d like to feature is Erin Gruwell, the visionary that began the Freedom Writers Diary movement. Little did she know when she walked into her first classroom that she would be faced with the hardships and harsh realites of the lives of her students and would go on to create the Freedom Writers Foundation.

Ms. Gruwell was just a normal person who saw an opportunity to take action that could potentially better her students’ lives. All of us at TEDxChapmanU look up to Ms. Gruwell for all that she has done and all that she continues to do, and we can safely say she embodies all of the characteristics of an icon.

Shelene Bryan: An icon next door inspiring icons next door.

Shelene Bryan is the second icon next door (and TEDxChapmanU speaker) we’d like to feature. Ms. Bryan founded Skip1.org on the belief that average Americans, not just the wealthy, can help change the world just by skipping one small thing (like a Starbucks coffee), and donating the money instead.

Ms. Bryan exemplifies the definition of an icon next door because she recognized a need that wasn’t being met, and has since dedicated her life to fulfilling it.

Team Kids: Raising icons next door.

Team Kids strives to inspire and empower young people to become resilient and responsible citizens with a passion for community service. Since 2001, the kids that make up the organization have contributed over $200,000 to local youth charities.

These kids demonstrate to a tee the meaning of “icon next door” and should all be applauded for becoming great role models for Orange County youth.

Do you know any icons next door? Share your thoughts below.