Ideas worth spreading

The beauty of being a misfit

4,331,786 views | Lidia Yuknavitch • TED2016

To those who feel like they don't belong: there is beauty in being a misfit. 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."

To those who feel like they don't belong: there is beauty in being a misfit. 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."

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Sign up for a writing workshop. Lidia Yuknavitch teaches non-academic writing workshops for people who are interested in transformation via self expression.

About the speaker

Lidia Yuknavitch

Lidia Yuknavitch

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In her acclaimed novels and memoir, author Lidia Yuknavitch navigates the intersection of tragedy and violence to draw new roadmaps for self-discovery.

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Learn more

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Sign up for a writing workshop. Lidia Yuknavitch teaches non-academic writing workshops for people who are interested in transformation via self expression.