Mine right now off the top of my head is Adam Savage, former co-host of Mythbusters years ago. I sometimes watch his Tested videos whenever he answers questions and he answers them very thoughtfully. A lot of his thoughts, takes and answers based on his experiences and point of view on life and career has helped me be more grounded in my perspective as a worker.
I’m not as much of a freelance worker as he is and I don’t do nearly a lot of cool things that he does that others also do too. But his knowledge and wisdom is seriously something to take into consideration and they’re things I like to try and borrow some aspects from to apply into my life so that I don’t feel as aloft in things as I used to.
I just watched a recent video of his where he answered the question someone asked on the subject of When You Don’t Want a Better-Paying Position. And he went on to basically say, in summary as I perceived it, that sometimes in life the bigger and better positions isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be.
Like sure, having more money and being financially secure is never a wrong position in wanting to have. But you also need to find a platform where you’re happy with what you do and maintain a work/life balance while doing it. And just hearing all of what I heard in that video alone was inspiring to me so this man is definitely someone I see as a positive.
I really like Adam Savage as well. The tour he did of Grant Imahara’s shop was very touching.
It seems like kind of an obvious answer, but Mister Rogers. I grew up watching him on PBS, and he was always so kind and gentle, and he always has good lessons and reminders to be had. I still watch his show whenever I’m feeling down and don’t want to get out of bed. For me, they’re motivating to get up and do something.
That was the rewarding click for the day. I hadn’t seen that yet and enjoyed every second. Thank you for sharing!
Mr. Rogers. Besides all the usual Mr. Rogers stuff even after his death he had the most important lesson for me. Reading an article about him I learned that he kept detailed files on all his friends and acquaintances. He would use them to keep track of birthdays, kids names, etc… all the details that make you a good friend for remembering. To me it really humanizes Fred Rogers and shows that he wasn’t just some inhumanly perfect person. Being a good person was work for Fred Rogers just like it is work for the rest of us. What made him special was his choice to put so much effort into being good. I think that’s the greatest lesson he has for adults.
Robin Williams
I may be a little more comfortable with the weather than I might otherwise be if it weren’t for Greta Thunberg making it a bit harder for corporations to fuck everything up. Does that count?
Otherwise, Carl Sagan.
My immediate response was also Adam Savage. I say this while laying in bed, background watching mythbusters as I do every night. I’m studying to become an engineer and it’s literally because of this show and how interested it got me in science and just understanding how things work as a kid.
It’s been a dream of mine for years to meet the man and thank him, but he seems to keep himself quite busy these days. I just watched a 12 minute video of him simply talking about a pencil and I hope he never changes.
Dave Brockie (of GWAR). Taught me not to take things so seriously.
Adam Yauch. You taught us all how to grow up and be better than we were yesterday
I’d say the artists of my music playlist .
I’m not sure how we’re defining celebrity these days, but my vote would be for Canadian Astronaut (and engineer) Chris Hadfield.
He’s had to accomplish many amazing things to be in the position to become a Canadian Astronaut, and then kept doing more amazing things. He’s a humble and approachable style has allow people around the world to connect to spaceflight and the benefits it has to all of humanity.
I saw the question and immediately thought of Adam as well. Funny you should have already done so. He’s more than just a Maker, he really has some interesting life experiences to share and how to deal with one’s own difficulties. I really like his takes on not gatekeeping knowledge, not crushing other people’s creativity, and just generally being kind. His enthusiasm for learning new things and discovery goes a long way, too. I made a little 3D printed plaque of his words regarding failure, it helps when I get frustrated with a project that isn’t going how I want.
Anthony Bourdain has always inspired me to seek out the unknown and to keep an open mind about the perspectives of others. Our lives are incredibly short and we often spend too much time trying to pick apart the minutia of those who are close to us. It’s important to have a balance and to go out and be in uncomfortable situations with unfamiliar people.
Conan O’Brien. Taught me how much fun the world can be when you are just silly.
many musicians and authors will influence you as they get you to think. Agree or disagree if what they put out is quality it will have a positive influence on your life. I don’t really think of any youtubers in that way really though.
Earthling Ed
David Bowie and Prince both bent and blurred gender lines while still being attractive, unique, and amazingly talented. Bowie died really close to his birthday, and both dates are close to my birthday.
When he died, I decided to check off some of my bucket list items, like performing in drag. Whenever I’ve felt self conscious, thinking about these icons really helped me be comfortable with myself and my journey.
I really miss both of them as a fan. :/ I wish I had seen them live.
