A Map Back to Wonder | Krithya Purushothaman | TEDxUniversity of Birmingham Dubai

Creativity & Innovation - NASA conducted a creativity test on 1,600 children, revealing a decline in creative genius scores from 90% at age five to only 2% in adults, suggesting that prioritizing performance over play stifles creativity [3] - The speaker advocates for incorporating "useless" creativity into daily routines, such as 10 minutes of unstructured imagination, to reignite creative thinking [6] - Encourages "awe walks" to notice beauty in the environment, which can increase positive emotions and decrease stress [7][8] - Suggests keeping a curiosity journal to rewire the brain to pay attention to wonder and forgotten passions [8] - Recommends engaging in ridiculous activities with friends to foster openness and shared joy [9] Well-being & Performance - Dr Deja Kelner's study at UC Berkeley showed that watching 60-second nature clips expanded the sense of time, increased generosity, slowed heart rates, and diminished the perception of problems in adults [4][5] - The speaker emphasizes the importance of presence over perfect timing, suggesting that rediscovering childlike joy can enhance creativity and courage [11] - Advocates for unlearning one rule a month to challenge habits and observe the resulting changes [10] Psychological Impact - The speaker argues that individuals lose their innate joy and creativity as they grow older due to prioritizing rules, logic, and performance [2] - The speaker highlights the importance of feeling alive in the present moment, rather than waiting for more time, and suggests that practicing aliveness is like exercising a forgotten muscle [2][5]