Ideas worth spreading

Art and awe as healing

22,408 views |

Jennifer Allison |

TED@UPS

• July 2017

For artist Jennifer Allison, everyday sounds can be overwhelming, certain clothes feel like rubbing against a cactus, and the number four is always royal blue. Allison suffers from a neurological condition called Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), which causes her brain to react to stimuli in illogical and sometimes painful ways. Through her wild, yet intimate life story, Allison shares her attempts to cope with SPD, and how rediscovering art saved her life and transformed her world "from pain and chaos to mesmerizing awe and wonder."

For artist Jennifer Allison, everyday sounds can be overwhelming, certain clothes feel like rubbing against a cactus, and the number four is always royal blue. Allison suffers from a neurological condition called Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), which causes her brain to react to stimuli in illogical and sometimes painful ways. Through her wild, yet intimate life story, Allison shares her attempts to cope with SPD, and how rediscovering art saved her life and transformed her world "from pain and chaos to mesmerizing awe and wonder."

About the speaker

Jennifer Allison

Jennifer Allison

Artist

At UPS, Jennifer Allison designs applications that allow customers to complete complex tasks that feel simple. Inspired by her personal experiences, she leads her UX team with a rare philosophy: designing solutions for disabled users will ultimately improve the experience for all customers. A user interface designer by day, by night she's an avid painter and has published several coloring books.

About TED Institute

Every year, TED works with a group of select companies and foundations to identify internal ideators, inventors, connectors, and creators. Drawing on the same rigorous regimen that has prepared speakers for the TED main stage, TED Institute works closely with each partner, overseeing curation and providing intensive one-on-one talk development to sharpen and fine tune ideas. The culmination is an event produced, recorded, and hosted by TED, generating a growing library of valuable TED Talks that can spur innovation and transform organizations.

Read more about the TED Institute