Every year, the TED Video organization awards a $100,000 prize to an individual to help them make their wish to change the world come true.
Last year, it was Jamie Oliver and his Food Revolution. Just last week, the 2011 prize was awarded to JR, a French street artist. A truly unique photographic artist, his mission is to show the world its true face. He pastes massive portraits of human faces on buildings all over the world.
I would like to bring art to improbable places, create projects so huge with the community that they are forced to ask themselves questions. ~ JR, Beaux Arts Magazine
His TED prize wish is to use art to turn the world inside out. Called the Inside Out project, it is “a large-scale participatory art project that transforms messages of personal identity into pieces of artistic work. Upload a portrait. Receive a poster. Paste it for the world to see.”
As an artist myself, I will be closely watching how this project unfolds. You can get involved. Donate to the cause. Blog about it. Donate a wall for a portrait. Create a group project and determine what message you would want to send. Watch his TED video here.
Recently, Tara Sophia Mohr asked her readers in this blog post what their TED wish would be. I think that reflecting on this is a great way to synthesize your whole mission in life. I started this blog with the hopes of inspiring and being inspired. But, if I were given $100,000 to make my wish to change the world come true (through collaboration), what would I do? I had to dig a bit deeper. I’m still digging, but so far I would say that I would develop a plan to cultivate an awareness of inspiration in individuals that leads to action. What I really want is for everyone to pay close attention to what inspires them.
What would your TED wish be? If given the opportunity, what project would you start to change the world?