There is sometimes an avalanche of pressure to fit into societal norms and mainstream ways of being. Yet, there is great magic in being different. Some of the best creative minds felt like they didn’t belong.  And, why belong when you can actually be on the cutting edge of something far better?

Author, Lidia Yuknavitch, shares her own wayward journey in an intimate recollection of patchwork stories about loss, shame and the slow process of self-acceptance. “Even at the moment of your failure, you are beautiful,” she says. “You don’t know it yet, but you have the ability to reinvent yourself endlessly. That’s your beauty.”

Lidia’s novels and memoir navigate the intersection of tragedy and violence to draw new roadmaps for self­-discovery. Her ability to communicate her wild life experiences is both entertaining and profound.

Enjoy this wonderful Ted Talk by this acclaimed novelist and Olympic swimmer.