Eulogies for the living: how to move through grief

Imagine hearing your eulogy—while you’re still able to savor it. In this funny, touching 2021 TEDxSeattleWomen talk, Andrea Driessen shares a story about what she calls Gracenotes, or living eulogies. And how to write such a note to lessen grief and regret. Through humor and poignancy, Andrea challenges us to honor others by telling them that they #matter—and HOW they matter—while we’re all still alive. Andrea is a longtime hospice volunteer with Providence Hospice of Seattle. Through her interactions with people who are dying—and their loved ones—she’s developed this compelling, how-to practice for easing grief and boosting peace. She’s also a learning, training, and development expert who helps people and organizations worldwide become more capable, communicative, and connected. An internationally award-winning business owner who built her business from the ground up, she’s dedicated her career to helping others grow. Her 3x award-winning book, The Non-Obvious Guide to Event Planning: For Kick-Ass Gatherings that Inspire People, is in its second printing.

Learn more about Eulogies for the Living at https://www.grace-notes.org/.


The Transforming Power of Authentic Community

In this 2021 TEDxSeattle talk, K. Killian Noe discusses the power of authentic community, which she defines as being deeply known and deeply loved.

Killian understands that no one gets out of a deep pit on their own. It’s been her life’s work to ensure that others have the tools they need to emerge from the pit of trauma and it’s symptoms—including homelessness and addiction and depression. Her talk explores how community can lead to healing, and how healing is learning to embrace fear instead of love.


TEDxSeattleWomen (In person watch party!)

2021 TEDxSeattleWomen: What Now?
Watch Party

Register Now!

Join us for an in-person viewing of the virtual TEDxSeattleWomen event on December 8th. Following the viewing, we'll be hosting this year's speakers in person for a live interactive panel, where you'll be given the opportunity to ask questions and network. There are limited spots available, so get your ticket today!

 

A special thanks to our presenting partner Comcast Washington


TEDxSeattle + TEDxSeattleWomen (Live!)

Experience TEDxSeattle and TEDxSeattleWomen live at the Meydenbauer Theater in Bellevue, WA in a unique, live studio setting. Both events will be virtual again this year—but the talks by the Northwest’s boldest innovators and change makers are being recorded in front of a live audience on Sunday, November 7, and you’re invited to be a part of it!

With two events in one day, choose to join TEDxSeattle in the morning for nine speakers and live entertainment, or take in TEDxSeattleWomen in the afternoon for three talks and a chance to network and mingle with like minded attendees. You can also make a day out of it with both events for the full spectrum of conversations and live performances. Either way, you’ll enjoy speakers and entertainment in a talk show studio-like setting as camera crews and production staff capture every moment. 

Tickets will be selling fast–so reserve your seat today to view this year’s talks live. 

Please note that strict COVID safety protocols will be in place for the event. In accordance with King County protocol, all attendees, volunteers, and staff will be required to show proof of vaccination or negative test results upon arrival and will need to wear a mask while indoors. Please visit our FAQs for more information.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I attend this event?

There is a magic to seeing TEDxSeattle speakers and entertainers perform live; it’s an experience that cannot be matched. And this year will very likely be the only time our event will be held in a small, intimate theater setting ever again.

What is the difference between this event and TEDxSeattle on Nov 20th and TEDxSeattleWomen on December 8th?

This event on November 7th will be in-person at a small theater in Bellevue. Speakers and Entertainers will be performing live in front of a small audience and our film crew. These performances will be recorded and then the videos will be debuted at the virtual events on November 20th (TEDxSeattle) and December 8th (TEDxSeattleWomen).

Should I attend the in-person event on November 7th or the virtual events?

This really depends on whether you would prefer to see the speakers and entertainers perform live and in person, or if you’d prefer to watch the talks from the comfort of your home at a later date. While the talks and performances will ultimately be the same, the experiences will be completely different.

Why are there separate events?

We feel that the best way to create an incredible event experience is to design each event for a specific audience. By hosting both in person and virtual events on separate days, we can create the best experiences for each audience.

What is the COVID safety protocol for this event?

Entry requirements

We will be strictly following the King County COVID protocol. All attendees will need to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test (no more than 72 hours old) upon entry, along with a government issued ID (school IDs are also accepted).

Do I need to wear a mask?

Yes. All attendees will be required to wear a mask at all times over their noses and mouths while indoors. We plan to provide snacks and beverages during the breaks. During these breaks, there should be plenty of space in the lobby to socially distance while consuming. You can go outside and take off your mask during breaks if you'd like.

Will I be able to socially distance?

Given the nature of the intimate theater environment in which the event is taking place, socially distancing will not be possible. Please be prepared to sit next to people. Again, masks will be required at all times.

 

Will this event provide captions and translation services?

Yes. We will provide real-time captioning and translations via Microsoft Translator. More info coming soon!


TEDxSeattleWomen 2021: What Now?

2021 TEDxSeattleWomen: What Now?

We’re virtual again this year, with speakers to inspire hope and spark change. 

Register Now!

Over the past year, we’ve struggled to navigate a global pandemic, political and social upheaval, and a growing awareness of the flaws in the systems designed to support us. 

After all this change and uncertainty, many of us are asking, WHAT NOW? 

Join us December 8 for this FREE, virtual TEDxSeattleWomen event. Our speakers will tackle that question, imagining new possibilities and exploring ideas for how we might live and work better together in the years to come.

TEDxSeattleWomen is an annual event designed to empower women and girls to be creators and change-makers. The event combines compelling live speaker presentations with empowering content from our favorite national TEDWomen conference talks.

Meet our 2021 speakers

Talisa Lavarry

 

Andrea Driessen

 

Brook West

 

A special thanks to our presenting partner Comcast Washington


Back of the room at The Riveter as the audience watches TEDxSeattleLive on the large screen

TEDxSeattleLive: Watching TED 2018 "The Age of Amazement"

 

To introduce TED2018, TED owner Chris Anderson and TED Head of Curation Helen Walters asked the audience to complete a simple task: to turn to someone whom they didn’t know and state what, over the last year, the main emotion is that they’ve felt. In Seattle, the crowd that was gathered at TEDxSeattleLive followed suit. Strangers exchanged quick greetings and with just a few minutes for the exercise began sharing their hope—and fears—from the past year.  Looking from the back of the audience during TEDxSeattleLive 2018 held at The Riveter

While there was plenty of apprehension in the crowd, there was also hope for what the next year would bring despite an increasingly divisive global culture. Seattle has long been known as a city filled with forward-thinking innovation and passion for change, so it’s no surprise a day full of learning and inspiration was met with such an openness to how an idea can shape the future.

The event screened two different sessions over the course of the day: “Doom. Gloom. Outrage. Uproar.” then “Wow. Just wow.” Between the two sessions, the audience listened to topics ranging from the #MeToo movement by Tracee Ellis Ross, to how artificial intelligence can upheave the job market as we know it today by Kai-Fu Lee.


TEDxSeattle Salon: Practice Letting Joy in while Coping with Loss

As our community emerges from the grief of the pandemic, we confront new and familiar challenges. We invite you to take inspiration from Caroline Catlin’s talk - Why I Photograph the Quiet Moments of Grief. Learn how her own experience with illness inspired her to connect to others facing similar challenges. After a diagnosis of a rare form of brain cancer, Caroline Catlin was forced to confront her own mortality and come face to face with the complex emotions surrounding death and dying. Through photography and writing, she has learned to see the beauty in the end of life and reframed her perspective on her own cancer in the process.

Together, we’ll enjoy a glass of fine wine, watch Caroline’s talk (which has 1M+ views to date) and then engage in dialogue with Caroline and invited guests who will share their wisdom on the tough but universal experience of grief.

A limited number of in-person seats are available here for $10. Wine and food will be available before and after the panel. Audience members will be asked to wear masks during the panel.

Or you can reserve your free virtual spot instead!

A special thanks to Elsom Cellars for partnering to make this Salon possible.

Caroline Catlin

Caroline Catlin is a writer, photographer, and nap enthusiast. She exudes such a positive, bubbly personality that her desire to dive into intense and difficult topics may come as a surprise to some—but for Catlin, joy and loss feel deeply intertwined.

In January 2019, Catlin found out she had brain cancer. A long-time advocate for mental health, Catlin suddenly found herself dealing with trauma and devastating illness first hand. With the help of her “sunshine tornado” partner, she made it through multiple rounds of radiation and chemo that were followed by coffeehouse jaunts with her dog and close friends in tow. The road was long, but she made a point to, “practice letting joy in.” Through it all, Catlin found the strength to process her own journey through trauma and to look with an inquisitive and sensitive eye at how other people function through life’s most difficult moments.

This work has taken Catlin and her camera to the bedside of those breathing their last breath and into the lives of individuals dealing with intense grief and loss. Catlin’s research and work in behavioral health and developmental trauma have inspired her to reform the way health, illness, and disability are portrayed in the media. Through her lens we can discover the art within caregiving and therapy.

Lynette Huffman Johnson

Founder Lynette Huffman Johnson began photographing families and children in 1984, shortly after the birth of her first daughter, but in 1996 her sister-in-law asked her to take a different kind of picture: a picture of her niece, Lainie, who was stillborn. Another close friend’s baby had died over two decades prior, and it was the memory of these two children, Lainie and Janus, that inspired Lynette to form Soulumination.

Since its inception as a 501(c)(3) non-profit public organization in 2005, Soulumination has grown to over 60 professional photographers who volunteer their time and talents, and over 120 community volunteers who lovingly help us serve these families.

Caroline Wright

Caroline Wright is a cook, author, and terminal brain cancer patient. After her diagnosis, she focused her career on her two sons and the connection that comes from telling her story. She’s written four cookbooks and four children’s books. Caroline lives in Seattle, Washington with her family. www.carolinewrightbooks.com

Colleen Robertson (Moderator)

Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, Colleen has been directly involved with grief work for nearly a decade through her board service with the Safe Crossings Foundation. Indirectly, Colleen has been involved with Safe Crossings Foundation and grief work since she was a little girl. Colleen's mother, Teresa Bigelow, co-founded Safe Crossings as a direct result of the death of Colleen's father when she was seven years old. Having experienced such intense loss at such a young age (and witnessing her two younger brothers and her mother experience their own grief), Colleen will be forever dedicated to the cause of helping kids and families grieve. As an Executive Board member and past President of the Board, Colleen has supported the creation of an annual conference for grief-related service providers and has helped expand the types and number of programs Safe Crossings Foundation funds by instituting an annual granting fund.

Colleen is the digital marketing director with local start-up, HeadLight and has previously worked for Expedia and Slalom. Additionally, she has freelanced as a marketing consultant for many Seattle-based SMBs and nonprofits. She started her career in direct service with nonprofits, first with YouthBuild via Americorps and later by launching and running the GED program for YouthCare's Orion Center.

Colleen is mother to a 1.5 year old human, as well as a middle-aged dog, and an elderly cat. She lives with her son/dog/cat and husband, Benjamin, in beautiful West Seattle.

SCHEDULE

4:30 Doors open for guests at Elsom Cellars
5:15 Virtual doors open for guests on live stream
5:30 Salon begins
6:30 Salon ends; wine and food available
7:00 Last call


What photographing death taught me about life

In this 2020 TEDxSeattle talk, see how Caroline Catlin’s own experience with illness inspired her to connect to others facing similar challenges.

After a diagnosis of a rare form of brain cancer, Caroline Catlin was forced to confront her own mortality and come face to face with the complex emotions surrounding death and dying. Through photography and writing, she has learned to see the beauty in the end of life, and reframed her perspective on her own cancer in the process.

More to explore:

  • Learn about Caroline Catlin’s work at http://www.carolinecatlin.com/
  • Soulumination provides photography packages for those in need. Learn more here: https://www.soulumination.org/
  • View “What Really Matters at the End of Life?”, a TED talk by BJ Miller and Hospice and palliative care Physician: https://www.ted.com/talks/bj_miller_what_really_https://tedxseattle.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/thumb-01-1.jpgers_at_the_end_of_life
  • Learn about lessons learned when almost dying from at TED Talk by Suleika Jaouad: https://www.ted.com/talks/suleika_jaouad_what_almost_dying_taught_me_about_living
  • During his TED Talk, Jason B. Rosenthal give a humorous view of loss and grief: https://www.ted.com/talks/jason_b_rosenthal_the_journey_through_loss_and_grief

TEDxSeattleWomen 2020: Fearless

Thanks for tuning in to this year’s event!
If you missed it, check out the live stream recording below and sign up for updates to learn about upcoming events!

New year.
New format.
Same inspiring content.

"

This complimentary and virtual event will center on the theme of Fearless – an idea that is exceedingly important during this time of apart-ness and physical, cultural and economic challenges. Don’t miss out on the chance to hear remarkable talks, watch stories of “Women Who Dare” and call upon our collective fearlessness to take a global step forward – together.

We are prioritizing connection. With our community top of mind, TEDxSeattleWomen welcomes you to join other attendees in breakout discussions, Community Conversations, during the event. Subject to availability.


Meet our 2020 speakers

Nothing found.

Meet our host

Jeannie Yandel is a special projects editor at KUOW Public Radio in Seattle, where she works on everything from podcasts to special broadcast series to live events.

[LEARN MORE]

#TEDxSEATTLE 
#FEARLESS2020

Follow along on socials for updates

Thank you to our presenting partner:

Special thank you to the sponsors who enable us to share the ideas worth spreading:

See 2019 TEDxSeattleWomen highlights

This event is licensed by TEDWomen.


Luly Yang with two models

Behind the Scenes with Luly Yang, Fashion Designer [SOLD OUT]

Luly Yang is a multi-award-winning artist and internationally known fashion designer based in Seattle.

Her most recent project: the exciting and highly visible new uniform design for Alaska Airlines’ 19,000+ employees. (Learn more about the uniform design project in this video.)

In this one-of-a-kind experience, you’ll go behind the scenes of Luly’s studio in the heart of Downtown Seattle to see firsthand how she transforms her vision and fabric into art. As you tour her space with fellow art aficionados, you’ll learn about her creative process, as well as how designs are conceived, and then made real. All along the way, you’ll hear Luly tell her compelling story of leveraging her role as a graphic designer in the field of architecture into an internationally award-winning fashion design career.

Luly has been named a “Women of Influence" by the Puget Sound Business Journal, "Best Custom Dress Designer" by Seattle Bride Magazine for 13 consecutive years, and has received the Nellie Cashman Woman Business Owner of the Year Award. She has also designed costumes for Seattle-based Teatro ZinZanni, and was commissioned by Pan Pacific Hotel to design their new uniforms for their grand opening. Her shows have benefited non-profit organizations such as Camp Korey, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Swedish Hospital, Fred Hutch, and others.
Luly Yang couture, ready-to-wear, accessories, bridal, cocktail, evening wear and menswear are available in Seattle, Beijing and Europe.

Light appetizers and drinks will be available during your adventure with Luly.
This adventure is capped at 40 so we suggest registering soon.
Location: Luly Yang’s private studio (closed to the public)