TEDxYouth with Wyn Wiley: Find Your Brilliance and Run Like Hell

This summer, TEDxYouth went to Lincoln Nebraska to find youth speakers and they struck gold. Wyn Wiley was suggested to be a TEDxYouth speaker by two of his teachers and little did he know that it would be an experience not only for the audience but for himself. He created 9 minutes of pure selflessness that is guaranteed to ignite a spark within yourself.

Wyn Wiley is a 21 year old senior photographer from Lincoln, Nebraska and this isn't the first time he's graced the pages of Fstoppers. Earlier this year two people contacted Wyn and told him that he should apply to the upcoming TEDxYouth event. They encouraged him to talk about how photography has enabled him to unleash my brilliance. Shortly after the process he was contacted and told that he would be a speaker.

Wyn was with a variety of speakers, one as young as 12 years old. He explained that "the experience was pretty nerve-wracking. I knew there were lots of people watching both online and in person and I owed it to myself to do the best I could. But thankfully, being around the other speakers made a great support system." Wyn spent weeks planning what he would say while him and the other speakers grew closer. They would get coffee and dinner while they rehearsed their speeches and learned everything about each other. Wyn was nervous, when I asked him what his feelings were on being asked to speak he said he "questioned [himself] on if [he] could really do this. After all, it was a BIG deal to [him]."

Wyn stated the best thing about giving a TED talk was being sharing stories about people that he has met through his photographs. It's those people that have turned from people to clients and then friends who really make him love his job and gave him the motivation he needed to speak. He knew the goal of  TED talks is usually aimed at spreading knowledge to others but in writing his speech and talking with other speakers he really found out a deeper reason about why he does and continues to love what he does. He also was able to take back one-hundred fold to what he put into it. He was able to take "away a new appreciation for public speaking, the crazy big dedication it takes to put on a TED event." But most importantly he made a plethora of new friends who he really believes in and he knows will change the world.

Don't forget. Find your brilliance and run like hell. 

wyn-wiley-ted-x-youth-fstoppers-2

 

Check out his website, and give him a like.

Sarah Williams's picture

Sarah Williams is a award winning photographer in San Diego, CA. She specializes in photography for rad people and brands such as Airstream U.S.A. She has a deep love for flamingos and tattoos. If you want to know more, she's pretty honest on instagram, so check her out.

Log in or register to post comments
2 Comments

I'm not sure "selflessness" is the right word, but good talk anyways. He has some really nice stuff.

It is the right word you need to find your own selflessness. Then you'll understand the meaning.