"If I cannot draw it, it probably means that I don't understand it yet." PERFECT

”This didn’t come out like a poem, we shouldn’t speak”. Brilliant!

I love how he said "Like and architect does. When she..." instead of using "he". just for one time. I love it

Love that! “We don’t find beauty. We make the world beautiful by paying attention.”

as a therapist, social psychologist and artist, I found this to be extraordinary! Thank you! I want more!

2000 years to teach everybody to write, and we go back to hieroglyphics because that is how the mind really works.

I have this weird thing where when I draw and listen to a podcast, later when some time has passed, days and weeks, I remember vividly the content and stories of the podcast just by looking at the drawing. All I need to do is look at the drawing and everything comes flooding back (I do not try consciously to remember the podcast, it is just an automatic recall). It makes me wonder if there is a complex cognitive mind mapping happening that as drawers we are not even aware of. And I also wonder how this can be harnessed to improve memory.

Wow, not even done watching yet and this is a great talk. As an artist, I approve of his message.

"We don't find beauty, we make beauty by paying attention to what we see." ...Lovely

"We tend to draw what we already know, and not what we see" "Because we don't find beauty, we make the world more beautiful by paying attention" These quotes above are very meaningful and it describes things perfectly. This ted talk also describes the way in which I visually think, or without words. It was always hard to explain to people you can think in terms of other things besides written or spoken language. This does an amazing job of capturing the way art changes a person's way of thinking!

"I stored thoses memories in my mind, and not on my camera" ++++

I always told people that my diary was my drawings and they never understood that that's how I let emotions and thoughts out and now I'm learning I'm not actually crazy !

What a remarkable talk. I wish I could give it multiple Likes. So refreshing to hear drawing talked about as a skill like writing or speaking rather than sidelined or elevated as an artistic activity for only trained, eccentric, dramatic people. Wonderful speaker too. Thank you.

Absolutely genius. Among the 100s of TED videos with exaggerated titles, you'll find a gem like this. More than convinced drawing will make an impact.

I'm an artist but life's been distracting. Going to begin drawing every day Thank you. Inspiring & Thought provoking

As a second grade elementary teacher, I used to have my students take picture notes when I would read a story. And they could recall the story very easily.

After reading "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" 40 years ago I began to draw and it became the best way to express and confirm my most cherished values and goals. I don't draw any longer but find peace and comfort from these pictures displayed throughout my house.

4:53 “I store those memories in my mind, and not on my camera.”

If doodling is a kind of drawing, this helps explain why I can focus better during meetings.

This is wonderful, one of the best little ruminations I've heard in years. This man is one of the very fortunate with a kind of synaesthesia, or something related, in which the boundary between the verbal and spatial is fluid and thought in that space is generative. This is a keeper for your private collection of meditations for freshening the mind.

"If I can't draw something. I probably havent understood it YET" Wow wonderful creative thinking strategy

As a mom, I automatically thought, “aww, don’t cross out that cute lion”! Great talk, thank you!!

Probably one of the most inspirational speeches I have heard. "Creativity is really about quantity" ... yes, I have realized that.

This is why I draw. Helps me to focus. Focus is hard for me to do. For the last two years I came in fourth in my company in sales. I work in a very rural community and I win over urban sales people. This started when I started drawing at work. Thanks for this video.

“creativity is like breathing. u take in ideas & knowledge, & u combine it to new ideas that u made.”❤️‍🔥

I want his moving drawings as my screensaver.

I live at the foot of the Rocky Mts in Colorado. I say, "Did you see the sunset (or sunrise)?", and oft is the reply, "I was too busy to notice". Or snow, or clouds, or deer, or other things in Nature, and people simple don't have time to notice. So sad to not see the world about us. It can change your day to notice the beauty on our Earth.

I often ask artists why they don't and can't draw. They say they don't need to know how to draw to be an artist, they do abstract. I was drawing all my childhood, I still use drawing as the most important part of my art, it's the foundation that I build from. My ex husband was a amazing artist, he was a cartoonist and we ran an advertising agency that did annimation also. Mariusz could draw anything instantly with no problems. He did political cartoons for newspapers, his has a lot of his work hanging in our parliament house. He has passed away but I do see a lot of amazing artists who do draw and have insane drawings skills. So that's good, it hasn't died of completely. Im still leaning, I'll be learning till I die. Artists see everyone and everything every second of the day, it's just what we do, it's a mindset that keeps our mind healthy also. Our body needs exercise and so does our minds and imagination.

I'm an artist and have purchased an art journal. I've been stumped about what to draw in it. This makes it so much clearer. Each page does not have to be a work of art. I will use the 5 points to get me started.

This was amazing. Thank you, Ralph! As an artist who lost herself and lost the meaning behind her art and trying to find her way back this spoke to me. Thank you. Also, your way of visualizing an idea or a word is just wonderful! Very cool stuff

Great video! If you can write, you can draw because you are actually drawing symbols that represent images. And I agree that drawing is bigger than art. I believe it's of the most powerful forms of communication. For example, an image of a thing can be understood across all languages in contrast to having to know the language of a written word. Creativity is a gift all humans share in various forms. And I would guess at least 90% of things created and built in civilization is a drawing on paper somewhere. Including the chair you sit in and the monitor you're staring at. I hope that one day visual art is recognized for the powerful thing it is.

I’m addicted to drawing… I’m a senior and still draw picture notes, they help replace words for me. I remember my foreign language fonts (Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi) when I draw it clear and large. I appreciate the encouragement to draw more

I love how he says visual, “Wizueal mind set”

This is the best TED talk I have ever watched.

One of the most stimulating Ted talks I have ever found. Makes me want to get a sketch pad and a Rotring pen and start right away.

I used to draw every day until 9/11/01. Time to get back on it!

Amazing....I was critisized for my excessive "doodling" ..but I have learned SO MUCH from keeping and sharing art journals...fantastic presentation on art and mindfulness and so much more.....

We have reduced the world to labels. We do not look. We recognize things. - that was amazing

The difference between language, music and a drawing or a painting is the aspect of time. Words and musical notes come one after the other an image is in 1 image.

He has a very soothing voice

Brillian! Ralph Ammer spoke to my soul.

I know I'm late, but this was incredible, and my favorite Ted. 5:24 Look at the crowd, they are completely engaged. Thank you for this 🙏🏾

One of the best talks I've ever seen. It gave me a completely new perspective on the drawing and left me with even more questions that I had before the talk.

I had an experience many years ago when I was visiting my daughter's home where her then husband virtually ignored me (while playing on his laptop) while she had to go out to the shops. So I grabbed some paper and a pencil and sat out in her back yard and drew; and through that drawing I felt a connection to the wild bush-land that encroached onto this property. There were huge boulders, trees and ferns and I had such an unexpected experience of feeling connected to this ancient land in a way I could never have possibly imagined......so much so that I didn't want to stop drawing. Drawing can help one connect intuitively with the external world to create a kind of dreaming as in the Aboriginal culture of Australia......and other cultures.

Drawing one and two were two of the best classes I ever took. It opened up my mind in ways I can not put into words. It should be required classes - both high school and college actually. If you get a chance, take a drawing class, I promise you'll thank me later.

I had to write an 200 word essay over this and I thought id be bored stiff, but this was actually very interesting. It makes me want to start drawing haha

Wow... I love to draw.. But somehow I don't know why but I stop myself doing it.. But I am learning to let flow the thoughts that comes to my mind.. Wish me luck. ♥

An artist neighbor (now deceased) used to advise her students to draw their children from the day they were born. It was too late for me but struck me as a wonderful way of connection.

This was deeply inspiring for me. I appreciate the part with observation and labels. That we are basicly blind, because our brain is used to it. Probably the best TED I have ever watched. Thank you.

The best ted talk I have seen so far. What a nice idea and presented so creatively.

I would love to hear him speak in person, at great length, a set of lessons, because this is just a tip of the iceberg, I feel. And yet, if this is all I ever hear from him it will last me a lifetime. 🙏💜 Peace!

this talk needs million more likes!!!! thanks a lot!! i was putting myself into a block of artists of learning deep rules and details .. but forgetting my doodling way..which was he most effective way!!! now yeah i learnt the rules.. now let me focus on drawing and not art!! thanks a lot again

Simply marvellous! It just so wonderful to know how an artist knows so much about how our minds work! That is amazing neuroscience to me!

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and insights. It was a delight to watch your visual talk. 👏

Fascinating, thank you. I can’t wait to try it out.

I like drawing and doodling with my mind. Whatever it’s an art or not,it’s my love.

Toller talk, und ich liebe diese Illustrationen! Gratulation!

I of course love this because I am all about sharing with people how to draw with all the fun and none of the stress :)

Food for thought, that became an inspiration for painting I'm creating. THANK YOU

This is so good! I am an artist, but never thought so because I didnt think I was good at "DRAWING". While in school, we had penmanship where we did exercises like he describes.

best ted I've ever seen. bravo

Really inspiring. Ralph expresses clearly old concepts, blurry in the back of my mind, giving them life, and known yet strong ideas which are easely forgotten and, more often than not, necessary to be reminded. Thank you so much for this incredible talk.

This is by far one of the best, most impactful TED talks I have ever watched, thank you so much!!! 💖

that was splendid. I used to draw every morning for an hour before getting my day started and I was mentally much sharper than now, especially I had a lot of eureka moments, my intuition was leading the way. I'm getting back to it tomorrow morning :D

I really enjoyed this presentation and I love that it verified some of my teaching methods. As a middle school social studies teacher, I would encourage students to draw/illustrate the answers to questions in their assignments, or listing of vocabulary words they were learning. It was valuable for many reasons. They couldn't draw their answer if they didn't understand it. Sometimes I would discover errors in their understanding in the way they drew their answers.

A stunning talk on why we should be drawing. Thank you!

Love it... I draw for fun. After a while your brain takes over and that pencil glides like a figure skater on the rink of imagination. Doesn’t need to impress anyone else, just communicate with them to facilitate a shared experience...

Yes, putting feelings on paper is good for connecting the heart, mind and soul😍💞🙏🏼💞

Great talk, accompanied by thoughtful illustrations and animations. Thank you!

How beautifully and logically expressed. Thanks. I got a direction for my abstract art.

Fantastic presentation, sensitively and vividly explained - thank you.

Excellent presentation! I often struggle to explain people why I love drawing! he has help me to put words to my reasons.

This followed another talk I was referred to. I like to draw, so I watched it, charmed. I think this is really what I was here for. I need to get out the little sketchbooks I have filled, and then stalled, and start doing it again so I can see what my drawings will lead me to now. Thank you so much, Ralph Ammer, for sharing yourself with me.

I think we become focused when we draw. In a way which allows to see the details but still not put any pressure on ourselves . And because we do not put any pressure , we are able to also see everything that is around us,the objects,the people, our thoughts and ideas from that moment , and even emotions . We see them clear enough that we are able to vividly remember them for a long time . Especially recall them when we encounter something similar.

Thank you. As someone who does draw you have articulated so many things that I know but haven't been able to explain adequately to other people. But you have also given me reasons to expand my range of subjects, and such a good reason why. This is a brilliant talk and I hope it inspires people who don't draw yet to pick up a pencil. One tip from me; draw lots, and don't be critical of your work. The more you draw the better it gets, but there is always something good in everything you draw, and look for those beautiful lines. Bonus tip; after 40 years of drawing I recently changed to an overhand grip, and started drawing with my full arm, from the shoulder down. Also have my drawing pad at almost vertical. It's hard, and I have a long way to go, but there is so much more energy in my lines. In one way these new drawings look terrible compared to the other stuff I was doing, but in another, mistakes and all, I like these new ones so much better because they make me feel I'm finally starting to understand why all of those drawings I admired by great artists are so dynamic.

Love the message, the clarity, the animations and the delivery! Thank you. Very motivating and relevant to innovation and the creative process.

Great talk. I completely agree and shall plant the seed of this knowledge into my mind.

Fantastic! People tend to think of me as an artist for my drawing but really i draw for ideas or stories; i really don't consider myself a full fledged artist, it just isn't my main interest/profession. I relate very well with this talk.

Excellent presentation. Thank you for sharing. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽💖💖💖

This is one of my favorite TedX Talks ever! Thank you so much for this inspiring perspective!

So many attentions to detail, as a creative and a teacher it is so important to just train your fingers to move whether by pencil, paint but also being ready to just try even if it does not always come out the way I may think but often better. Allow the mind to just look, observe and watch what unfolds.

Very well presented topic. One Chinese young actor is famous for his perception of the world being extremely deep and seeing beauty everywhere that others do not. He surprises people with this. It turned out that ever since he was young he had been studying drawing. He even finished his studies in this field. Drawing is his form of understanding the world and depicting his emotions. Drawing makes his current work, as an actor, more complete, as he is more deeply able to portray the character he plays and his place in the world.

this conversation is full of wisdom and creative imagination, thank you.

Thank you! I bless you with love and light!

Affirmation for my terrible drawings. The older I more I cherish this kind of encouragement.

I seriously need the transcript of this talk! This would be so useful for me to condense and insert into slides for my students to help them grasp the key points!

“…. we make the world beautiful by paying attention.”

Powerful presentation - Still processing his words

Thanks, man! It was a pleasure to embrace the ideas. Great for the brain!

Very good talk-I’m filling a blank page with circles as we speak.

I just took up painting and I try so hard to make something decent. I must try this because I have a lot going on in my life right now (all good, thankfully) and my head is spinning.

Thank you so much, wonderful talk! I never thought to combine two or more objects or an object and emotion. I will try and incorporate that in my sketches.

Excellent talk , thank you. I know that when I 'have it in my hand', through drawing a thing, I really have observed it, am intimate with this thing and it helps me enormously in my arts practice.

for me , this is honestly the best ted talk i have seen so far , I am an artist , I think on paper using shapes ...This video was so good for me ..Thanks man!

Super important message and therapy for over-thinkers or angry people

I am already a fan of this presentation. Completely eye opening for ordinary people like me.

I'm not half way through and I am absolutely blown away. My art practice is based heavily on drawing. I feel like there is a narrative to what I am doing, although I didn't even understand quite why. He is expanding that thought among other things... So glad I found this - THANK YOU!!

Great talk, good representation with the images, thank you

One of THE BEST ted talks ive seen/heard!! 💟

Thanks for laying this process out. I am going to use this information as a conscious therapeutic tool for myself and my clients.