Theme
Commencement Speeches About Creativity
Speeches on creativity make the case that imagination is a discipline, not a gift — a way of seeing and building that anyone can practice. Artists, engineers, and founders describe where ideas actually come from and how to keep making things in a world that rewards playing it safe.
12 speeches / 7 core matches
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Speeches on creativity make the case that imagination is a discipline, not a gift — a way of seeing and building that anyone can practice. Artists, engineers, and founders describe where ideas actually come from and how to keep making things in a world that rewards playing it safe.
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Begin with these speeches if you want the clearest path into creativity.
John Seely Brown Arizona State University / 2015 Why it belongs here He repeatedly urges graduates to unleash their imagination and invoke collaborative invention as the coin of the realm. This theme is central to the speech. 02 
Yoko Ono Maine College of Art / 2003 Why it belongs here She addressed young artists about practicing their passion and framed art as a way of living that impacts the world. This theme is central to the speech. 03 
Martin Scorsese New York University Tisch School of the Arts / 2014 Why it belongs here Scorsese urges graduates in all artistic disciplines to protect their creative spirit and animating impulse as the core of their work. This theme is central to the speech. Featured speeches
Visual speech maps and strong matches
Why it belongs here He repeatedly urges graduates to unleash their imagination and invoke collaborative invention as the coin of the realm.
Why it belongs here She addressed young artists about practicing their passion and framed art as a way of living that impacts the world.
Why it belongs here Scorsese urges graduates in all artistic disciplines to protect their creative spirit and animating impulse as the core of their work.
Why it belongs here The speaker argues that art is a cultural necessity that restores humanity and detects the 'aroma of the new,' making creativity his central theme throughout.
Why it belongs here Gioia argues that art, imagination, and creativity are vital to society and to producing complete human beings, and that America needs continued creativity and innovation to thrive.
Why it belongs here As a storyteller she frames each graduate's life as a narrative they can author, choosing tone and inventing the language to say who they are.
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Core matches first
Labels describe how directly each speech matches this theme.
Core matches 7
Arizona State University / 2015 / Field: science
New York University Tisch School of the Arts / 2014 / Field: arts
Belhaven University / 2011 / Field: arts
Stanford University / 2007 / Poet and chairman, National Endowment for the Arts
Wellesley College / 2004 / Field: letters
Maine College of Art / 2003 / Field: arts
Massachusetts Institute of Technology / 2024 / Flagship Pioneering CEO and Moderna co-founder
Related mentions 5
George Washington University / 2013 / Actor and George Washington University alumna
Stanford University / 2004 / Field: arts
University of Wisconsin / 2003 / Field: arts
Indiana University / 2006 / Field: arts
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