"Art is not luxury, its sustenance."

He’s like that super cool hippieish English professor everyone wishes they had

“To express yourself, first you have to know yourself.” A powerful truth.

“There is no path… until you walk it” so powerful. ❤️

Ethan Hawke always manages to talk about big life-affirming concepts without ever sounding pretentious or overbearing. He's down to earth, funny and thoughtful. This is the perfect ten minute video to get you back on the creative wagon.

Is it just me, or has Ethan Hawke become one of the most fascinating people in the world of art over the past couple of decades. He is thoughtful, articulate, different and inspirational. Love this!

I'm a taxi driver. Most of my conversations with passengers are just small talk. When I pick up people from the airport, I'll often get asked about local restaurants or things to do in town. But I also get conversations started by asking about what they watched on any of the streaming services. From there, we start a conversation about the things we enjoy watching, and while this seems like a boring conversation, it's not. People talk about the movie that made them cry, or the show they had to binge watch because they couldn't stop watching, it hooked them in so thoroughly. You can see how animated they are, and the conversation continues while they pay, rushing their words to try and fit their point in before they have to get out. Just like poetry or any other art form, movies and TV shows can capture your attention, imagination, and feelings. And yet, talking about them can be considered just a half step up from talking about the weather. I have regular customers who ask for me to be the driver sent out to pick them up, just so we can have a conversation about the latest episode of their favourite show while on the way to their destination. The trip to their destination is what they needed to get about their day. The conversation was what they needed to enjoy their day. When I get a customer I can provide both to, it makes my day.

Man, I believe in every word Ethan said. I spent the first part of my life being ashamed and embarrassed to express myself. Not anymore. I am transformed into my own personal fool and I love it! I’m making music, creating art, making BBQ for others, writing screenplays and all of it gives fulfillment.

Now this is the kind of content that old TED was all about. Extraordinary ideas.

"The world is an extremely unreliable critic!" GOLD, absolute gold!

Easily the most powerful ted talk i've ever seen. I dont remember the last time i felt a piece inside of me click back into place like this. Thank you Ethan

"play the fool" love it.

that part "don't read the book that you should read, read what you wanna read"...this was for me

"The world is an unreliable critic". Do what you want to do, not what they want you to do. 😌

I once saw an interview with Tarantino, he was trying to do everything in his film, until someone told him, “you’re job is to direct! Let everyone else worry about their job” I then met someone who was writing a book, I told him I want to write a book too, but get caught up in the whole process, he says, “your job is to write, let the editor worry about editing, let the publisher worry about publishing” and it opened my mind. I believe a bunch of ppl will see this video and say “wtf is he talking about!??” But that’s the point, Ethan is being a “fool” in this video. My dad once told me, “the road you’re heading down, I’m already walking back”

So my dad passed when I was 18. I’m almost 40 now and obviously it’s been quite a bit of time since I’ve heard anything from my dad. Just watching this now and out of nowhere I feel like I’m getting some real fatherly advice from my old man all these years later. Very weird and very meaningful. Thank you Ethan Hawke and everyone who helped put this together

"there's no path till you walk it, and you have to be willing to be the fool." love that

I was so happy he included his brother, a leader, a military man, as someone who was creative. As much as I love the arts, I have struggled to find value as a not creative or artistic person. I don't dance, act or sing. I don't draw or paint. My "creativity" has always been in organization, administration, leadership, creating a bridge of understanding between higher ups those who are less knowledgeable. I love to write...business letters. That is my poetry. I think knowing and accepting who you are is the most creative gift anyone has to offer the world.

I cried at the end there. Powerful.

"Creativity is vital… it's the way we heal each other." Well said, Ethan! This is so beautiful and true:) I hope everyone steps into their creative freedom. I know I am.

"Human creativity is nature manifesting in us." That hit deep.

does anyone else just go to reading the comments when they just feel like they want more of whatever they caught a glimpse of in the video?

“That’s the point, play the fool.” Wow! So much meaning!!

There is something which touches you differently when someone teaches you something humbly rather than making it feel like they are doing you a favour under the pretence of giving a lecture. Really a great talk tho 🥰🥰

This was deeper and more engaging than I thought it would be. Pleasantly surprised.

My passion is making little tuxedos for hamsters. Never once considered this foolish.

It's crazy to me exactly how much wisdom is packed into this video. Thank you, Ethan.

The most beautiful Ted talk i have ever listened.

• Stop doing what everyone else is doing. Stop being boring. • Create more. Consume less. Express yourself through a creation outlet, e.g., drawing, photography, cooking, etc. • Creativity is breathing. You need to breathe in in order to breathe out.

Permission to be creative is also about permission to fail - creativity is about doing hundreds of things not quite right and then finally putting out something that just 'clicks' with people. Quality comes via quantity.

This is so inspiring and comppeling. If you have ever felt something like what he's describing you'll get right away what he meant to say. Art, expression and to be alive, living the moment is so powerful, inebriating. Thanks, Ethan! Let's all play the fool.

I think thats one of the most wholesome things Ive heard in a while!

“If you get close to what you love, who you are is revealed to you, and it expands." Brilliant. But I guess most people are stuck at first base - surviving. Beyond that everything is a luxury nowadays.

"The world is an unreliable critic" - How perfectly relevant to the digital age that we live in. The endless critique of every aspect of ourselves is damaging our ability to express our individuality and to engage in dialogue from a differing view. Thank you, Mr. Hawke, for putting your words out into the world.

I could listen to Ethan all day. He is so uplifting.

This is gold, the kind of stuff that is worth coming back to, from time to time, to rekindle the fire within, to remember that we’re not here to just pay bills and die, but to experience awe and wonder too. If l remember correctly, l discovered Ethan Hawke through the brilliant movie ‘Dead Poets Society’. When he runs into the snow, torn apart by grief, after his friend takes his own life… that’s one of the most powerful moments in the movie. I’m grateful for having experienced his talent as an actor, and that he made this beautiful talk.

Ethan’s secret, I believe, is that he’s a master of vulnerability.

"You may feel foolish, you may even look foolish ... Do the thing anyway." This quote and this type of thinking has helped me so much. As someone who has often been scared of what others think, sometimes you just gotta do what you feel is right no matter what

This was the shortest 9 minutes of my life... and a very beautiful 9 minutes as well. Exactly what I needed to hear

It amazes me how the essence of Ethan is always present in the characters he plays, like Jesse from Before Sunrise or Troy from Reality Bites. Listening to this TED talk feels like listening to dialogue from his movies and that's amazing, that's what brought so much life and authenticity to the characters!

Met him years ago at a photoshoot. Super humble and that's the same energy coming through this TED talk. Enjoyed it

Robert Frost: The road less travelled by.... Ethan Hawke: There is no path until you walk it. Wow.

I wouldn’t be surprised if him and Julie Delpy just improvised conversations from the Before Sunrise trilogy. Just thoughts from the top of his head that are so enlightened and existential.

I saw this maybe 9 months ago and thought “yeah this is a pretty good interview”. Today I found out a friend of mine passed away, this videos means a lot more to me now.

A light inside me that’s been off for a long while started to flicker just now watching this. Thank you, Ethan. Very lovely.

As soon as he asked “Do you think human creativity matters?” I just started bawling because it matters so much to me, and yet I’ve struggled to create at various moments in my life because of other people’s opinions. It hurts when we don’t create. We lose a piece of ourselves, our soul, our humanity. That’s why it hurts so much. Thank you, Ethan - and TED. I needed this. So much 🙏😌🧡✌️

"Art is a substance...we need it", beautiful interpretation of life

I think Ethan is expressing something that Dio understood very clearly, and so many others have tried to articulate: our individuality is the best tool we have for bringing us together, and all we have to do is have the courage to be vulnerable in order to make that a reality. Love it.

"Play the fool" - now that is the best and most liberating advice I've ever heard! This really struck a cord with me!

It's as if Ethan Hawke is still playing his character, Todd Anderson, from Dead Poet's Society. It's as if Todd decided to live the life he imagined his best friend, Neil Perry (played by Robert Sean Leonard), would want: the life of an actor. O Captain, my Captain! Thank you.

This is one of the most beautiful most important messages I've ever heard ❤️

8:01 "There's no path until you walk it." That quote smacked me in my face.

“The fool is the precursor to the savior.” - Carl Jung A lot of what Ethan is talking about here is self-realisation. After our basic needs are met we must satisfy the soul's needs. Making and consuming art is part of that.

1:29 "most of us really want to offer the world something of quality. something that the world would consider good, or important. and that's really the enemy. because it's not up to us whether what we do is any good." 3:50 "what do you love? and if you get close to what you love, who you are is revealed to you and it expands" 6:56 "kids use any opportunity they have. they try to use it to impress upon you their individuality" 7:05 "there is a thing that worries me sometimes whenever you talk about creativity because it can have that kind of feel that it is just nice, you know, or it's warm, it's something pleasant. IT'S NOT. it's VITAL. it's the way we heal each other. in singing our song, in telling our story, in inviting you to say- hey, listen to me and I will listen to you. we are starting a dialog and when we do that, that healing happens." 7:43 " If you want to help your community, if you want to help your family, if you want to help your friends, you have to EXPRESS yourself. and to express yourself you have to know yourself. it's actually super easy, you just have to follow your love." 8:06 "don't read the book that you should read. read the book that you want to read. don't listen to music that you used to like. take your time to listen to some new music." All I have to write is WOW!!!! this is the best talk I have listened to in months. pure pearls of wisdom. well said, well-edited. thank you!

This talk went deep into my soul. I love the contrast between the unpretentious tone of the talk and its profoundness. What a precious talk ❤

One of the best talks on creativity that I’ve found. Totally in love with those two pics “before sunset” and ‘before sunrise”. ❤

Out of all the Ted talks I've watched so far, this was different.

What a coincidence! I just watched the 'Before' trilogy today. In my opinion, the most beautiful trilogy of all time!

I really enjoyed this. Especially that last part about "playing the fool." Trying new things, getting further away from your comfort zone and feeling dumb is the best way to live. Ive experienced it often and im thankful for it all. This is real stuff here.

There is no path until you walk it Thanx sir, thanks a lot, you are great

I love this so much.

he never ended up reaching the same heights of fame, but in my brain, Ethan Hawke occupies the same space as Dicaprio or Depp.

"History has shown that the world is an unreliable critic:" Just to prove he has a point, I can think of three examples off the top of my head. 1. Stan Lee shared that when he first created Spiderman, his co-workers insisted that the character would be a failure. Instead, Spiderman revolutionized comics, kept Marvel (which was struggling at the time) going, and became one of the most successful fictional characters of all time. 2. "Citizen Kane" is widely considered the greatest film ever made. At the time of its release, however, it was a critical and commercial flop. It took at least ten years for it to start garnering recognition for its acting, story, themes, and cinematography. 3. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I read that George Lucas had a difficult time finding a studio willing to produce "Star Wars." The story sounded so silly, weird, and eclectic that most executives assumed it would be a flop. If I remember right, 20th Century Fox only took it on because Lucas called in a favor from one of its executives, who happened to be a good friend. There was no inkling of its future success until audiences treated to a pre-showing went absolutely wild. Now it's arguably the most beloved film franchise of all time. That's why I think it's important to create what you want. Who knows? At best you'll find an audience for it, and at worst you'll get to enjoy the process.

This is the most beautiful talk about creativity i have ever heard, thank you so much to one of the greatest actors and directors

I like how he doesn't limit creativity to art.. more a calling..

"The world is an extremely unreliable critic" ☕

What a joy to be drawn into someone's confidence like this about a subject so vital to our Nature. Thank you, Ethan Hawke!

"When you get close to what you love, who you are is revealed to you and it expands." Man, Ethan Hawke doesn't MISS!!! What I needed to hear today and any day, so much so that I wrote it down over and over. Someone said I glowed and lit up talking about a project I was working on and now I understand myself even more. Excited to be walking on my path as it's revealing itself to me. ❤💜🧡💙

It is just like Jesse from the movie "Before Sunrise" while telling something very personal to Celine

Ethan Hawke seems like a very intelligent and compassionate person. I would love to meet him one day.

As cliche as it sounds, this is exactly the talk I needed to push forward on the big project I've been dragging my feet on, telling myself it needs to be perfect. Thank you, Mr Hawke.

I'd highly encourage everyone to listen to this entire piece by Ethan Hawke, as this is one of the most beautiful, profound and impactful reflections on art and poetry that I can ever recall. After all of the loss me and my family suffered last year, beyond the support and kindness of my friends and family, it was art that helped me through the despair. Music, books, photography and poetry. From the poem read by the Rabbi at my mothers funeral to the quote from The Giving Tree etched on her memorial, the transcendence of art provided a touchstone to the rest of humanity that powered me through.

He feels so much like his character in the “Before” series in this video and I cant get enough

This man is a national treasure. And he doesn't get the recognition he should for how thoughtfully talented he is.

"And if you get close to what you love, who you are is revealed to you and it expands." (3:48) So poignant but so insightful.

“There’s no path ‘til you walk it!” So wise! Creativity is a necessity! Art is Air! For me it’s music! It has the power to heal my soul. I myself don’t play any music and therefore truly appreciate the art of music that others create. Grateful to those who follow their passion and in so doing change the world! ❤

"Searcher, there is no road. We make the road by walking." Antonio Machado

The misconception of creative activities just being "nice" hit me. Really, they are essential and sustaining.

What a beautiful storyteller

How simple yet amazing his words are ❤

This is one of the most sorted talks I've heard in a while. Especially the part where he says art is no more a luxury but sustenance, I felt that. It spoke to me.

“What do you love? When you get close to what you love, who you are is revealed to you and it expands.”

this was really well edited to let his conversation come out, but also made a lot of good and engaging points. i like this dialogue style in place of the live talks. it feels like a sit down conversation.

I'd never heard of Ethan Hawke before watching The Black Phone a few weeks ago, and I am just blown away by this man's performances and poetry. This video was especially moving to me.

I just love how he talks straight to us. Creativity is vital. I will remember that.

*"Kids don't have any habits and they don't even care if they're any good or not"* He's right. As an artist myself I'm sure alot of creatives out there could confirm the fact that we are sort of constantly in competition with each others? It puts everyone underpressure in order to become 'someone' or 'the next big thing' when really we should simply thrive to create for creation's sake.

This might be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard

what an incredible storyteller! I loved watching and listening

I LOVE THIS!!!!!!!!!!!

Ethan Hawke asked his hairstylist for “The Alan Watts Look”.

I can't believe I came across this video. I saw a clip from it a couple of years ago and it stuck in my head ever since and I always wanted to see the rest of it, and it's truly one of the best videos I've ever seen, and I'm very thankful to the KZfaq algorithm for this beautiful coincidence.

Being creative drew me out of years of depression. I'm so grateful thanks Ethan

I know this kinda isn't connected to the video... but his film "predestination" is brilliant..

This is the coolest guy. In every interview, he's intelligent and thoughtful and wise and well spoken.

this is my favorite TED talk I've seen such good advice. will definitely be coming back to this.

I love this person, he always inspires me

He has a way of being extremely deep while expressing it in a very light-hearted manner. I was in tears before reaching the middle of the video. Thank you Ethan for your life experience. And thank you for the music, beautiful finale. [...and remember artists, be the fool!]

Very rarely do I ever watch a video that touches me as deep as that one does. Too often we, creative people, get tangled in the mindset of not wanting to look foolish. We settle for much less than what we deserve. We give up on our dreams, goals, and end up losing ourselves in the process. Do NOT be afraid to look foolish, or feel foolish. Be BOLD and mighty forces will come to your aid.

Going to listen to this everyday....Thank you Ethan!

Oh Ethan, Ethan, Ethan. Thank you for this, rewatched many many times when my heart needed mending most, always brings a bit of extra warmth and hope. ❤