The fleeting euphoria of success | Debbie Millman
TED Talks Daily
TED
4.1 • 12.1K Ratings
🗓️ 28 April 2026
⏱️ 10 minutes
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Summary
Over two decades of interviewing countless creative people, Debbie Millman (host of the iconic "Design Matters" podcast) had a realization: the pride and joy of accomplishing something often evaporates almost instantly. She explains how to stop chasing external validation for your achievements and instead live for the act of creation itself.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | You're listening to TED Talks Daily, where we bring you new ideas to spark your curiosity every day. |
| 0:09.2 | I'm your host, Elise Hugh. |
| 0:11.2 | I interviewed a famous painter about a recent exhibition, a show that had taken years to create. |
| 0:20.0 | Given the magnitude of the accomplishment, |
| 0:22.5 | I asked her how long the feeling of pride lasted after opening night. |
| 0:28.5 | She looked at me, she smiled sheepishly, and stated, |
| 0:33.9 | about 11 minutes. |
| 0:36.4 | Those of you who listened to any of Ted's podcasts will know that voice belongs to Debbie |
| 0:41.1 | Millman, designer, author, educator, and host of Design Matters, one of the first and longest |
| 0:47.4 | running podcasts in the world. Debbie has spent more than 20 years and conducted more than |
| 0:52.9 | 1,000 interviews. |
| 0:54.9 | Yes, you heard that number right. |
| 0:56.9 | Exploring what drives people to create and what creativity really means in the first place. |
| 1:02.5 | In this talk, she explores what she has learned over the years |
| 1:05.3 | and shares a surprising realization she had about what happens after we finally get the thing we've been chasing. |
| 1:12.1 | That's coming up right after a short break. |
| 1:26.1 | And now our TED Talk of the day. |
| 1:29.4 | For the last 20 years, I've interviewed hundreds of people about their motivation to create, |
| 1:37.3 | their ambition, and what it feels like that be whole and at home in the world on my podcast design matters. |
| 1:48.5 | In one episode, several years ago, I interviewed a famous painter about a recent exhibition, |
| 1:56.8 | a show that had taken years to create. |
| 2:03.7 | Given the magnitude of the accomplishment, |
... |
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