Man, I've loved him for years, but hearing him talk about more 'real' topics was pretty inspiring. I'm sure gonna miss watching him and Jamie every week.
Creative obsession is a wonder to behold. Adam has a ferver and fire for his work that is a marvel to see. True passion focused, can achieve true greatness.
I love how Adam keeps saying how he wants objects with a story, the act of making gives it that story. I also love how he keeps saying he isn't a sculptor, well, you did make things by sculpting them so yes you are. I myself am artistically inclined, and I have so many friends that say they wish they were as good as I am at making things, but I can never seem to get through to them that it's not the end result, but the act of creating that is what makes it art. Art is a verb, not the end product. If you make things that come from your inner self, that reflect something, that can stand as an object or idea with a story, you are indeed an artist.
I understand his obsession. It's fun, makes you look forward to getting up in the morning, and feeds the mind. Sometimes doing something is it's own end.
The passion Adam has for just the process of perfection is amazing. Its not about the end result, its about getting to that end and this is awe inspiring to me, the want and vigorous attention to detail. Fantastic is an understatement for this attitude. Thank you Adam Savage for the inspiration to achieve this enthusiasm!
Adam Savage is my hero, not for Mythbusters, but because he shows the same kind of obsession for projects that I do from time to time. I just wish I had the kind of resources and knowledge that he does.
One of my favorite things about the Maltese Falcon movie prop is that there is one that is damaged. It was dropped by Bogart on set and forced them to make a new one. It's on display at Warner Bros. and has a wonderful feeling of authenticity because of that very damage.
So, I've been an avid subscriber of TED now for the better part of two years here on youtube, even before I got my channel, I was watching TED. Now, I've never posted a comment for you, TED, but this one earns the proverbial cake. 2:39 into the video, Mr Savage shows a map of middle earth, and that he hand drew it himself....BRAVO. I love you ted, really, I do. I mean, where else can you get gems like these. Keep it up, my interweb friends, you have my complete [non-monetary] support. Odius S.
And then maybe, then I'll achieve the end of this exercise. But really if we're all going to be honest with ourselves, I have to admit that achieving the end of the exercise was never the point of the exercise to begin with, was it? Thank You Adam!
The50011 He finally had an object which had a story behind it. It was never the intention to create a perfect replica but to have an object with as much story as the other objects of his obsession. I would suppose.
He's quite a frenetic speaker. I like a lot of the ideas he talks about. I think it's important not to get too attached to material things, but at the same time, there is value in the enjoyment of such things. I found myself in a situation where I had quite a few material things which I didn't need or use and needed to lighten my load as much as possible, so such things can actually be a burden if we're not careful.
Damn, Adam just went straight up my ladder of appreciation. His focus on details is so amazing it's almost obscene. However was wondering about the complete Dodo skeleton/mummie. Adam mentions this to be from the British Museum, however Wikipedia says it belonged to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. Anyone knows the correct details ? :P :D
That last point was amazing. "Achieving the end of the exercise is not the point of the exercise". Means there is no limit on your goals. There is no perfection but there is no limitation on creativity
I saw this video back in 2009 when it got uploaded. I Saw the book "The Maltese Falcon" a while back and thought "Huh thats that thing Adam Savage was talking about in a ted talk like 10 years ago. Just finished reading the book and watching the movie, and then rewatched this video. Weird how things just get stuck in my mind, good book though
I love Adam's Ted talks. The energy and amazing personality colliding with his gift of story telling and need to create make for an excellent experience.
I have to quote the vlogbrothers (specifically, John Green) on this one: "Saying someone's a nerd is like saying Ýou like stuff'." and "The great thing about being a nerd is that you're allowed to be unironically enthusiastic about things." Having said that, I am proud to count Adam Savage as a humongous, unbelievably made-of-awesome nerd.
To be amazed, inspire, replicate, create, to seek, to find and to grow, that is what creativity is to me, although you can be original, sometimes the best things already exist, or wait to be made better. Adam's journey may seem silly to some, but what he described was a wonderful process of growing and learning, and his passions help him discover not only about what he is interested in, but also himself, and I hope we too can learn from this and follow his example, well... with more restraint...
I know what this feels like. A story: I'm a drummer who plays a bit of guitar. I love the Beatles like crazy. I love George Harrison and especially his solo work. I love his psychedelic painted 60's Fender Stratocaster he named "Rocky" that he played until his death. I can't own the original, nor would I want it. It's in the hands of Olivia and Dhani as it should be. But being a Beatlemaniac I wanted one. So I decided to replicate my own. Other have done one so why couldn't I? Plus my bother had the infamous "Guitars of the Sixties" book that had a three page photo spread of the guitar all blown up and even a back view. Knowing I could screw up painting an electric guitar, even though I've done lots of painting in art classes, I bought the cheapest Squier model (Fender's affordable import line) Stratocaster I could get. The one I got came from a pawn shop on Ebay. It was in rough shape. Rusted screws, replacement parts, and a punk sticker all over the back. But it had a rosewood fretboard and the small headstock and a full width body the new beginner models don't. I stripped the red paint off of it right down the wood, which took forever. I sanded for even longer. I got acrylic paints (another fan had painted one using craft store acrylics so why not?). I mixed the colors and tried to get the right day glo brightness ( I didn't). It turned out okay, but the electronics were crackly and the tuners wouldn't stay put. Plus nicks and gouges I couldn't smooth over. It looked rough. The clear coat yellowed. (ugh!) And the colors looked to dull and flat.If someone wanted play it, they would not be digging it. So I recently re-did it. I bought a still stock newer Squier SE model. It is the last model Fender did that had full thickness body and neck, and had the small headstock shape. Got the whole thing all shiny and well taken care of with barely any wear on it. I used Testors model paints with a glossy sheen. I took much more time painting it. Dhani Harrison even did an iPad app with George's guitars you can view 360 degrees! And on someone's build page they screen grabbed every angle!! I was in heaven and put it all to good use. But I'm still not satisfied. I think I want to age the hardware with rust, nick and relic and wear the guitar body, and get period correct tuners and rust those as well. Use period correct sounding pickups. But that's for another day.. heh.. This guitar is my Maltese falcon.
And I thought I was detail oriented! Honestly, no one I know is as detail oriented and picky in terms of authenticity for props, but Adam definitely gets the levels of symbolism and why there are people like him and I that love lightsabers and ODST helmets and whatever.
I don't know what it is...this speech has no real point, but man does it inspire me. It's just so incredible to see someone with such awe-inspiring drive.
As a creative obsessive myself (I replicate videogames and improve on them, although I'm too shy to release most of my stuff.. :/) I know that you really don't want to force your creativity, as any interest in the subject is quickly killed this way. Once interest dies, so does pursuit of the goal. When it works it's beyond control - I just need to hope that something useful comes out of it. So far, it's gotten me a job.
Not my favorite TED Talk, but it held my interest. Kinda reminds me of the idea of the importance of play by Stuart Brown. This is the way Adam "plays" and it has driven him to learn and develop his artistic talent and intellect.
I always liked Adam from the feel i got from the show....and from this that feeling is totally correct. Adam seems like the COOLEST nerd ever haha. It would be so great to talk to him and get to know him more.
Great video. Its nice to see some other TED videos obsessing with changing the world or revolutionizing some form of technology. Personal obsessions happen to all of us and it was interesting to see how this one unfolded.
I used this speach for my school. We had to analyse a presentation of somebody. And this presentation is technicly not very good. But he does take you an a journey with him. :D I have seen this over 10 times now. Love it. :)
Having recently finished my first DIY prop replica (also my first DIY project ever), I had never considered the impact the process could have on me. Stretching my actual limits in woodworking as well as my perceived limits. Then coming to terms with NEW limits. Dealing with my strive for perfection. Needing to work within a set time limit. But also the joy of discovering things for the first time, techniques as well as simple joy from just holding something *I* created. Giving it away, while part of me wanted to keep it for myself :P Seeing the joy it brought to the person I made it for. All this makes it so much more gratifying then buying (even a perfect) thing on ebay or wherever. Not to say my project is perfect, because it's actually pretty crappy. It's weird now that I think about it: For me, Adam explains away some of the magic of creating things, by showing how it's done, but replaces that with a new magic, of enthusiasm and understanding.
When I was younger, the only "creative projects folder" that I had was full of pin-up shots of women. Hands down, Adam Savage's Creative Project Folder wins...
he actually does a lot of youtube photos, he actually doesnt have really that much time, he is actually really busy. got to testcom, he does a lot of videos on that. most of the stuff he does take him years cause he doesnt get that much time.
Adam and i have a lot in common, we both obsess over things we want to do and saturate ourselves in the known knowlege of said subject, have many random useless or obscure skills, and have a deep love for the dodo bird hahaha
Have watched this before and knew that when starting to watch this for the second time but it is just so inspiring! :) So true the way to the goal is more satisfying than the actual end result!
Wow. Just... WOW! I mean... on some level I certainly admire his craftsmanship and attention to detail and dedication but being around a man like this would drive me insane!
if you havent already seen the maltese falcon, then you havent seen the maltese falcon, my favourite film with boggie, its on you tube so enjoy, enjoy, a classic classic
If the Maltese falcon is what dreams are made of ~ The Dodo skeleton must be what nightmares are made of ! At least for the Dodo ? I have wanted a Maltese Falcon for years but have you seen the shipping costs to the U.K.?
I love how he starts talking so fast when he gets excited
Donnie Montoya love everything about him talking and explaining you get so excited for things you didn't know you would ever be exited about!
Man, I've loved him for years, but hearing him talk about more 'real' topics was pretty inspiring. I'm sure gonna miss watching him and Jamie every week.
You know he's part of the RUclips channel called Tested? There's all sorts of builds by him in his workshop
That closing line was just brilliant. Really summed everything up perfectly.
Creative obsession is a wonder to behold. Adam has a ferver and fire for his work that is a marvel to see. True passion focused, can achieve true greatness.
The world doesn't deserve this great man.
Kntrytnt this* world
No, "The" is correct.
Caroline McCullers there can be many words can there be not?
I love how Adam keeps saying how he wants objects with a story, the act of making gives it that story. I also love how he keeps saying he isn't a sculptor, well, you did make things by sculpting them so yes you are. I myself am artistically inclined, and I have so many friends that say they wish they were as good as I am at making things, but I can never seem to get through to them that it's not the end result, but the act of creating that is what makes it art. Art is a verb, not the end product. If you make things that come from your inner self, that reflect something, that can stand as an object or idea with a story, you are indeed an artist.
Adam is my hero. His passion for little things is such an encouragement.
I understand his obsession. It's fun, makes you look forward to getting up in the morning, and feeds the mind. Sometimes doing something is it's own end.
The passion Adam has for just the process of perfection is amazing. Its not about the end result, its about getting to that end and this is awe inspiring to me, the want and vigorous attention to detail. Fantastic is an understatement for this attitude. Thank you Adam Savage for the inspiration to achieve this enthusiasm!
He makes me excited to go find and pursue my passions! He's an incredible speaker.
"Achieving the end of the exercise was never the point of the exercise to begin with, was it?" Indeed!
Adam Savage is my hero, not for Mythbusters, but because he shows the same kind of obsession for projects that I do from time to time. I just wish I had the kind of resources and knowledge that he does.
One of my favorite things about the Maltese Falcon movie prop is that there is one that is damaged. It was dropped by Bogart on set and forced them to make a new one. It's on display at Warner Bros. and has a wonderful feeling of authenticity because of that very damage.
So, I've been an avid subscriber of TED now for the better part of two years here on youtube, even before I got my channel, I was watching TED. Now, I've never posted a comment for you, TED, but this one earns the proverbial cake.
2:39 into the video, Mr Savage shows a map of middle earth, and that he hand drew it himself....BRAVO.
I love you ted, really, I do. I mean, where else can you get gems like these. Keep it up, my interweb friends, you have my complete [non-monetary] support.
Odius S.
And then maybe, then I'll achieve the end of this exercise. But really if we're all going to be honest with ourselves, I have to admit that achieving the end of the exercise was never the point of the exercise to begin with, was it?
Thank You Adam!
I dont rally understnad this part
The50011 He finally had an object which had a story behind it. It was never the intention to create a perfect replica but to have an object with as much story as the other objects of his obsession. I would suppose.
Daniel Barrera Its the process of obtaining the object not the object itself that matters.
The point of life is living, not achieving death.
He's quite a frenetic speaker. I like a lot of the ideas he talks about. I think it's important not to get too attached to material things, but at the same time, there is value in the enjoyment of such things.
I found myself in a situation where I had quite a few material things which I didn't need or use and needed to lighten my load as much as possible, so such things can actually be a burden if we're not careful.
Adam sounds very much like a modern Leonardo Da Vinci. :)
+Sheep Ewe Except straight :P
At least i guess Adam is... :D FoxyWhite
Sheep Ewe how do you know how Leonardo da Vinci sounded like?
adejal acr
Yes, had bin a bit fun if the real Leonardo had a funny voice when he lived, everything is possible...
adejal acr cuz he's a time traveler... duh!
"Achieving the end of the exercise was never the point of the exercise." EXACTLY!!!!!!
day 48: I am on year 2009, just finished Adam Savage. a few hundred TED videos to go. god help us.
God save us
god help us all
How far have you gotten by now?
Damn, Adam just went straight up my ladder of appreciation. His focus on details is so amazing it's almost obscene. However was wondering about the complete Dodo skeleton/mummie. Adam mentions this to be from the British Museum, however Wikipedia says it belonged to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. Anyone knows the correct details ? :P :D
4:05 the moment when we all looked down to see how long ago this speech took place. Lol
That last point was amazing. "Achieving the end of the exercise is not the point of the exercise". Means there is no limit on your goals. There is no perfection but there is no limitation on creativity
Love this video! I'm watching it again, years later, and it's still just as inspiring as the first time.
love Adam's stories
I saw this video back in 2009 when it got uploaded. I Saw the book "The Maltese Falcon" a while back and thought "Huh thats that thing Adam Savage was talking about in a ted talk like 10 years ago.
Just finished reading the book and watching the movie, and then rewatched this video. Weird how things just get stuck in my mind, good book though
Adam savage is truly savage. Love your passion man.
His excitement is so contagious, I love it!!!
I love Adam's Ted talks. The energy and amazing personality colliding with his gift of story telling and need to create make for an excellent experience.
Adam Savage is one of my favorite people on this earth
I have to quote the vlogbrothers (specifically, John Green) on this one: "Saying someone's a nerd is like saying Ýou like stuff'." and "The great thing about being a nerd is that you're allowed to be unironically enthusiastic about things."
Having said that, I am proud to count Adam Savage as a humongous, unbelievably made-of-awesome nerd.
Wow a mythbuster giving a TED talk, I never thought I'd see the day
2:50 "a map of Middle Earth. That's one I hand drew myself." LOL
To be amazed, inspire, replicate, create, to seek, to find and to grow, that is what creativity is to me, although you can be original, sometimes the best things already exist, or wait to be made better. Adam's journey may seem silly to some, but what he described was a wonderful process of growing and learning, and his passions help him discover not only about what he is interested in, but also himself, and I hope we too can learn from this and follow his example, well... with more restraint...
He wasn't always rich, and didn't always have a lot of free time. He worked hard to get to where he was.
This guy knows how to have fun with his life. Keep busy with work that you love.
Brilliant! This is the reason I subscribed, for talks like this.
I know what this feels like. A story: I'm a drummer who plays a bit of guitar. I love the Beatles like crazy. I love George Harrison and especially his solo work. I love his psychedelic painted 60's Fender Stratocaster he named "Rocky" that he played until his death. I can't own the original, nor would I want it. It's in the hands of Olivia and Dhani as it should be. But being a Beatlemaniac I wanted one. So I decided to replicate my own. Other have done one so why couldn't I? Plus my bother had the infamous "Guitars of the Sixties" book that had a three page photo spread of the guitar all blown up and even a back view. Knowing I could screw up painting an electric guitar, even though I've done lots of painting in art classes, I bought the cheapest Squier model (Fender's affordable import line) Stratocaster I could get. The one I got came from a pawn shop on Ebay. It was in rough shape. Rusted screws, replacement parts, and a punk sticker all over the back. But it had a rosewood fretboard and the small headstock and a full width body the new beginner models don't. I stripped the red paint off of it right down the wood, which took forever. I sanded for even longer. I got acrylic paints (another fan had painted one using craft store acrylics so why not?). I mixed the colors and tried to get the right day glo brightness ( I didn't). It turned out okay, but the electronics were crackly and the tuners wouldn't stay put. Plus nicks and gouges I couldn't smooth over. It looked rough. The clear coat yellowed. (ugh!) And the colors looked to dull and flat.If someone wanted play it, they would not be digging it. So I recently re-did it. I bought a still stock newer Squier SE model. It is the last model Fender did that had full thickness body and neck, and had the small headstock shape. Got the whole thing all shiny and well taken care of with barely any wear on it. I used Testors model paints with a glossy sheen. I took much more time painting it. Dhani Harrison even did an iPad app with George's guitars you can view 360 degrees! And on someone's build page they screen grabbed every angle!! I was in heaven and put it all to good use. But I'm still not satisfied. I think I want to age the hardware with rust, nick and relic and wear the guitar body, and get period correct tuners and rust those as well. Use period correct sounding pickups. But that's for another day.. heh.. This guitar is my Maltese falcon.
drumsNstuff79 That is awesome!
Truly, it’s never the destination-it’s the journey that promotes growth.
If by OCD you mean Obsession to Continue Designing.
After watching this I feel like I'm slacking.
i like adam. he's energetic and fun, even when it isn't perhaps the most meaningful ted talk, it was a great one.
anyone else get the feeling Adam can be a stand-up comic and make his career based on stories of the things he made?
I've watched this talk 3 times and I still can't get enough
Jesus Christ Adam talks so fast here! He’s so different nowadays! Still love this so much
I love the frenetic energy of creative people obsessed with creation. :)
Thank you for sharing - oved this bit about the Maltese Falcon - This guy is great !
Wow, Adam is awesome! Huge respect!
And I thought I was detail oriented! Honestly, no one I know is as detail oriented and picky in terms of authenticity for props, but Adam definitely gets the levels of symbolism and why there are people like him and I that love lightsabers and ODST helmets and whatever.
Good to know I'm not the only one with intense obsessions. Go Savage!!
That was simply amazing. The way his mind works is so great.
I don't know what it is...this speech has no real point, but man does it inspire me. It's just so incredible to see someone with such awe-inspiring drive.
That IS the point of the speech
thank you adam savage for condensing my ADHD hyper fixation spirals into a 15-minute ted talk
As a creative obsessive myself (I replicate videogames and improve on them, although I'm too shy to release most of my stuff.. :/) I know that you really don't want to force your creativity, as any interest in the subject is quickly killed this way. Once interest dies, so does pursuit of the goal.
When it works it's beyond control - I just need to hope that something useful comes out of it.
So far, it's gotten me a job.
MORE ADAM SAVAGE!
Not my favorite TED Talk, but it held my interest. Kinda reminds me of the idea of the importance of play by Stuart Brown. This is the way Adam "plays" and it has driven him to learn and develop his artistic talent and intellect.
Wow. He's so amazing, his energy and excitement!
the journey was just as important as the result
I always liked Adam from the feel i got from the show....and from this that feeling is totally correct. Adam seems like the COOLEST nerd ever haha. It would be so great to talk to him and get to know him more.
Great video. Its nice to see some other TED videos obsessing with changing the world or revolutionizing some form of technology.
Personal obsessions happen to all of us and it was interesting to see how this one unfolded.
I used this speach for my school. We had to analyse a presentation of somebody. And this presentation is technicly not very good. But he does take you an a journey with him. :D
I have seen this over 10 times now. Love it. :)
God, I wish I had that kind of dedication to fulfilling my creative ideas...
Having recently finished my first DIY prop replica (also my first DIY project ever),
I had never considered the impact the process could have on me.
Stretching my actual limits in woodworking as well as my perceived limits. Then coming to terms with NEW limits. Dealing with my strive for perfection. Needing to work within a set time limit.
But also the joy of discovering things for the first time, techniques as well as simple joy from just holding something *I* created.
Giving it away, while part of me wanted to keep it for myself :P
Seeing the joy it brought to the person I made it for.
All this makes it so much more gratifying then buying (even a perfect) thing on ebay or wherever.
Not to say my project is perfect, because it's actually pretty crappy.
It's weird now that I think about it: For me, Adam explains away some of the magic of creating things, by showing how it's done, but replaces that with a new magic, of enthusiasm and understanding.
Adam Savage: The super daddy of all nerds in this world
Adam is the kind of dad I want to be.
The model of a DODO is at the entrance of the late Gerald Durrel at Jeresy CI Zoo now name as a "wild life trust"
1:34 A DODO FODO!
Great talk! I can totally sympathize with that level of obsession when it comes to artistic endeavors... there's a special kind of madness involved.
the point of the whole exercise was to enjoy yourself, and the challenge of making it happen.....
As someone once said, "Frenzy is its own reward."
When I was younger, the only "creative projects folder" that I had was full of pin-up shots of women. Hands down, Adam Savage's Creative Project Folder wins...
he actually does a lot of youtube photos, he actually doesnt have really that much time, he is actually really busy. got to testcom, he does a lot of videos on that. most of the stuff he does take him years cause he doesnt get that much time.
Adam and i have a lot in common, we both obsess over things we want to do and saturate ourselves in the known knowlege of said subject, have many random useless or obscure skills, and have a deep love for the dodo bird hahaha
Adam you are amazing.
What a great story!
Have watched this before and knew that when starting to watch this for the second time but it is just so inspiring! :) So true the way to the goal is more satisfying than the actual end result!
HIs excitement is why I love TED
oh i love him so much 😂 he is my childhood and continues to amaze me
Plus at 14:29 he says, and I quote "I could fire a friggin lazer at it!!!"
Nice Austin Powers prop there.
Achieving the end of the exercise was never really the point of the exercise. Love it!
#HUMANITYFIRST
Oh wow. I loved that ending.
Wow. Just... WOW! I mean... on some level I certainly admire his craftsmanship and attention to detail and dedication but being around a man like this would drive me insane!
I think poor Jamie Hyneman felt the exact same way.
Man, my dad would have LOVED this....
Should be named 'quest for the falcon' there was very little dodo.
Anyway. Pretty fascinating story.
That was absolutely fantastic! I geek bonded. LOL.
Wow, I had no idea how deep the rabbit hole went.
im obsessed with this
I wonder if he had a chance to meet the original by now
if you havent already seen the maltese falcon, then you havent seen the maltese falcon, my favourite film with boggie, its on you tube so enjoy, enjoy, a classic classic
Ele está tão animado com o assunto .Tão apaixonado. Adorei o vídeo.
4:31
he just made cleaning my room 500% easier
probably the OnLy person I would ever watch on tv if I ever had tv again.
effing brilliance.
I love how his mind works
That was brilliant!!
Creative obsession. Love it.
Adam ought to do The One Ring if he already hasn't
Imagine all this enthusiasm, devotion, creativity, knowledge, craftsmanship would be used for something useful and or important
If the Maltese falcon is what dreams are made of ~ The Dodo skeleton must be what nightmares are made of ! At least for the Dodo ?
I have wanted a Maltese Falcon for years but have you seen the shipping costs to the U.K.?
I was gonna get a hold of a hold paper too !
When he put it onthe stand-For people to fondle you could see it was shorter !
Shiny Sculpey surfaces? Burnish!
Adam is amassing.
its exactly because some rich / smart people have so little time that they cherish it so much and spend it in such productive manner.
Imagine if he get obsess with a person
+syahrul ridzuan A terrifying prospect, for sure. Imagine him as a child - well - he sort of is one still.. But his parents must've been exhausted.
+DMMcGregor as a child maybe he cant do or have all this, now is the time to fuel it.
He’s married, pretty sure he already has done that.
This man is my hero