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The Transformative Power of Making | Marcella Barker | TEDxWilmingtonSalon


can learning to make things help people

can learning to make things help people to lead better lives and become better

to lead better lives and become better

to lead better lives and become better they’re local and global communities I’m

they’re local and global communities I’m

they’re local and global communities I’m here to tell you that it can and I

here to tell you that it can and I

here to tell you that it can and I witnessed these kinds of transformations

witnessed these kinds of transformations

witnessed these kinds of transformations large and small every single day I’m

large and small every single day I’m

large and small every single day I’m part of an organization that operates

part of an organization that operates

part of an organization that operates maker spaces maker spaces are open and

maker spaces maker spaces are open and

maker spaces maker spaces are open and collaborative studios and workshops that

collaborative studios and workshops that

collaborative studios and workshops that house all kinds of tools and equipment

house all kinds of tools and equipment

house all kinds of tools and equipment necessary for the making of physical

necessary for the making of physical

necessary for the making of physical things and the bringing of inventions to

things and the bringing of inventions to

things and the bringing of inventions to life we provide training on these tools

life we provide training on these tools

life we provide training on these tools designed for the total novice and people

designed for the total novice and people

designed for the total novice and people of all skill levels and backgrounds come

of all skill levels and backgrounds come

of all skill levels and backgrounds come to participate in addition to training

to participate in addition to training

to participate in addition to training on these tools we provide support for

on these tools we provide support for

on these tools we provide support for people who want to start small

people who want to start small

people who want to start small businesses around their products and

businesses around their products and

businesses around their products and ideas so we not only teach people to

ideas so we not only teach people to

ideas so we not only teach people to make pretty much anything we help to

make pretty much anything we help to

make pretty much anything we help to democratize entrepreneurship for people

democratize entrepreneurship for people

democratize entrepreneurship for people who might not otherwise have access to

who might not otherwise have access to

who might not otherwise have access to those opportunities Dale Dougherty gave

those opportunities Dale Dougherty gave

those opportunities Dale Dougherty gave an excellent TED talk about how we are

an excellent TED talk about how we are

an excellent TED talk about how we are all makers from birth it’s really great

all makers from birth it’s really great

all makers from birth it’s really great I encourage you to seek it out and watch

I encourage you to seek it out and watch

I encourage you to seek it out and watch it because it’s profound and I agree

it because it’s profound and I agree

it because it’s profound and I agree with what he has to say I agree that

with what he has to say I agree that

with what he has to say I agree that we’re all creators and we all have a

we’re all creators and we all have a

we’re all creators and we all have a creative instinct inside of us but what

creative instinct inside of us but what

creative instinct inside of us but what I see is many of us have tucked that

I see is many of us have tucked that

I see is many of us have tucked that creative instinct away after childhood

creative instinct away after childhood

creative instinct away after childhood we often tuck it away when we tuck away

we often tuck it away when we tuck away

we often tuck it away when we tuck away our Legos the emerging subculture known

our Legos the emerging subculture known

our Legos the emerging subculture known as the maker movement seeks to rebuild

as the maker movement seeks to rebuild

as the maker movement seeks to rebuild that connection it encourages people to

that connection it encourages people to

that connection it encourages people to make tinker invent build even when they

make tinker invent build even when they

make tinker invent build even when they have no formal education or training in

have no formal education or training in

have no formal education or training in areas that are related like design or

areas that are related like design or

areas that are related like design or engineering but I believe this goes

engineering but I believe this goes

engineering but I believe this goes beyond a movement you don’t have to be

beyond a movement you don’t have to be

beyond a movement you don’t have to be part of this subculture I think this is

part of this subculture I think this is

part of this subculture I think this is important for everyone to practice and I

important for everyone to practice and I

important for everyone to practice and I think that learning to make things can

think that learning to make things can

think that learning to make things can benefit you and your community in a way

benefit you and your community in a way

benefit you and your community in a way that you didn’t expect learning to make

that you didn’t expect learning to make

that you didn’t expect learning to make things can change you fundamentally as a

things can change you fundamentally as a

things can change you fundamentally as a person you may be familiar with the

person you may be familiar with the

person you may be familiar with the research that shows our native language

research that shows our native language

research that shows our native language shapes the ideas and concepts within our

shapes the ideas and concepts within our

shapes the ideas and concepts within our society

society

society in that same way I think the tools and

in that same way I think the tools and

in that same way I think the tools and solutions that were exposed to and we’re

solutions that were exposed to and we’re

solutions that were exposed to and we’re familiarized with shape the

familiarized with shape the

familiarized with shape the problem-solving that we’re able to do

problem-solving that we’re able to do

problem-solving that we’re able to do the solutions we can imagine I believe

the solutions we can imagine I believe

the solutions we can imagine I believe that if you learn to make things you

that if you learn to make things you

that if you learn to make things you will be feel more confident in your

will be feel more confident in your

will be feel more confident in your capabilities you will be more innovative

capabilities you will be more innovative

capabilities you will be more innovative and you will contribute in ways that you

and you will contribute in ways that you

and you will contribute in ways that you never expected for many people this is a

never expected for many people this is a

never expected for many people this is a radical and unexpected idea we’re part

radical and unexpected idea we’re part

radical and unexpected idea we’re part of a consumer culture and we’re raised

of a consumer culture and we’re raised

of a consumer culture and we’re raised to be adults that choose from a set of

to be adults that choose from a set of

to be adults that choose from a set of pre-made solutions we purchase things

pre-made solutions we purchase things

pre-made solutions we purchase things made by people that we will never meet

made by people that we will never meet

made by people that we will never meet maybe under questionable circumstances

maybe under questionable circumstances

maybe under questionable circumstances and of materials whose impact and

and of materials whose impact and

and of materials whose impact and sustainability we just can’t begin to

sustainability we just can’t begin to

sustainability we just can’t begin to guess if you learn to make things I

guess if you learn to make things I

guess if you learn to make things I promise it will not only teach you

promise it will not only teach you

promise it will not only teach you things about yourself that you didn’t

things about yourself that you didn’t

things about yourself that you didn’t know you will gain a new awareness of

know you will gain a new awareness of

know you will gain a new awareness of the wider world it will go far beyond

the wider world it will go far beyond

the wider world it will go far beyond the walls of your workshop these are

the walls of your workshop these are

the walls of your workshop these are some people I know that are doing

some people I know that are doing

some people I know that are doing incredible things whether they’re just

incredible things whether they’re just

incredible things whether they’re just making a beautiful wooden bowl on a wood

making a beautiful wooden bowl on a wood

making a beautiful wooden bowl on a wood lathe just to make it because it didn’t

lathe just to make it because it didn’t

lathe just to make it because it didn’t exist before to have something gorgeous

exist before to have something gorgeous

exist before to have something gorgeous in their home or whether they’re

in their home or whether they’re

in their home or whether they’re developing a disruptive tactics

developing a disruptive tactics

developing a disruptive tactics this young woman she’s really

this young woman she’s really

this young woman she’s really exceptional she has an excellent story I

exceptional she has an excellent story I

exceptional she has an excellent story I love to tell it she was an athlete in

love to tell it she was an athlete in

love to tell it she was an athlete in college and she suffered a concussion

college and she suffered a concussion

college and she suffered a concussion and didn’t realize it so she started a

and didn’t realize it so she started a

and didn’t realize it so she started a company in which she’s developing these

company in which she’s developing these

company in which she’s developing these protective headgear devices with

protective headgear devices with

protective headgear devices with embedded sensors that help people

embedded sensors that help people

embedded sensors that help people realize if they might be you know

realize if they might be you know

realize if they might be you know exposed to risk of having a concussion

exposed to risk of having a concussion

exposed to risk of having a concussion some people are learning technology that

some people are learning technology that

some people are learning technology that has helped them to solve a design

has helped them to solve a design

has helped them to solve a design problem they’ve been stewing over for

problem they’ve been stewing over for

problem they’ve been stewing over for years others have learned how to use a

years others have learned how to use a

years others have learned how to use a technology that helps them scale and

technology that helps them scale and

technology that helps them scale and sell their art and they’ve been able to

sell their art and they’ve been able to

sell their art and they’ve been able to start a small business that supports

start a small business that supports

start a small business that supports them around it no matter what they

them around it no matter what they

them around it no matter what they doing doesn’t have to be the most

doing doesn’t have to be the most

doing doesn’t have to be the most amazing disruptive thing they’re doing

amazing disruptive thing they’re doing

amazing disruptive thing they’re doing something wonderful because they’re

something wonderful because they’re

something wonderful because they’re getting to experience the intangible

getting to experience the intangible

getting to experience the intangible value of getting to say I made this this

value of getting to say I made this this

value of getting to say I made this this is for me this is my creative

is for me this is my creative

is for me this is my creative self-expression and that benefits them

self-expression and that benefits them

self-expression and that benefits them and that benefits the people around them

the maker movement has been embraced by

the maker movement has been embraced by early childhood educators it’s a great

early childhood educators it’s a great

early childhood educators it’s a great way of fostering childhood interest in

way of fostering childhood interest in

way of fostering childhood interest in stem which is an acronym for science

stem which is an acronym for science

stem which is an acronym for science technology engineering and math it’s

technology engineering and math it’s

technology engineering and math it’s really great at this because it’s active

really great at this because it’s active

really great at this because it’s active it’s a really learning through play but

it’s a really learning through play but

it’s a really learning through play but this is not just a movement for children

this is not just a movement for children

this is not just a movement for children in fact adulthood and early adulthood

in fact adulthood and early adulthood

in fact adulthood and early adulthood can be an excellent time to embrace this

can be an excellent time to embrace this

can be an excellent time to embrace this new practice in this new way of thinking

new practice in this new way of thinking

new practice in this new way of thinking maybe you’re feeling disillusioned with

maybe you’re feeling disillusioned with

maybe you’re feeling disillusioned with the utility of your expensive college

the utility of your expensive college

the utility of your expensive college degree maybe you’re more aware than ever

degree maybe you’re more aware than ever

degree maybe you’re more aware than ever of the complex problems in the world

of the complex problems in the world

of the complex problems in the world learning to make things can give you the

learning to make things can give you the

learning to make things can give you the exact empowerment that you need to solve

exact empowerment that you need to solve

exact empowerment that you need to solve problems in an active physical way you

problems in an active physical way you

problems in an active physical way you are all problem solvers we are all

are all problem solvers we are all

are all problem solvers we are all creators you may be a digital native but

creators you may be a digital native but

creators you may be a digital native but the biggest problems you’re gonna face

the biggest problems you’re gonna face

the biggest problems you’re gonna face in your lifetime will require real

in your lifetime will require real

in your lifetime will require real solutions in the physical world problems

solutions in the physical world problems

solutions in the physical world problems that are resulting from things like

that are resulting from things like

that are resulting from things like climate change so what I ask you to do

climate change so what I ask you to do

climate change so what I ask you to do is join me in a grassroots movement join

is join me in a grassroots movement join

is join me in a grassroots movement join me in this grassroots movement by

me in this grassroots movement by

me in this grassroots movement by getting your hands dirty picking up a

getting your hands dirty picking up a

getting your hands dirty picking up a hammer learning to make a gadget with

hammer learning to make a gadget with

hammer learning to make a gadget with Arduino brings something new into the

Arduino brings something new into the

Arduino brings something new into the world I ask you to do it because it’s

world I ask you to do it because it’s

world I ask you to do it because it’s gonna benefit you but we need your ideas

gonna benefit you but we need your ideas

gonna benefit you but we need your ideas thank you

thank you

thank you you

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