Randy Pausch - The Last Lecture

I know this talk doesn't have a whole lot to do with animation... but it's a talk that I keep coming back to whenever I feel down, or when I need some inspiration. The premise of the talk was, if hypothetically you were to die very soon, what would your last lecture be about? Except in Randy Pausch's case, the premise is reality.

Randy Pausch speaks with sincerity about dreams, virtual reality, accepting the cards you're dealt, how to overcome obstacles, and all in all he's just an awesome guy with a good sense of humor.

My favorite quote from this lecture is this: "Brick walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things."

Also he talks about critique, and how to take critique. This is something that has stuck with me and helped me through a lot of bashings on my animation. As long as people are giving you critique, they are taking the time to do so because they want to see you improve. In a sense, they do it because they care about you.

When people stop giving critique altogether even though you are screwing up badly, that's when you should start worrying, because they have given up on you.

It's around an hour long, and well worth your time. Go watch it now!