As women we are taught, at all costs, to “think differently” if we want to get ahead. But, what does it actually mean for us to think differently? In our careers, in our creativity – the ability to think outside the box is often limited because of the social norms that define said “box”. Anita Kapoor, one of Singapore’s most successful female media personalities, has proved time and time again that her ability to constantly redefine what it means to think differently has lead her to exactly where she is.
Last year, Anita was tasked with hosting the Marriott TED Fellows Salon, which took place at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel. The Singapore event featured two international TED Fellows who shared their stories on the topic of ‘Creativity and Thinking Outside the Box’. It was part of a global tour of Marriott TED Fellows Salons in 2019, with highlight events in Cape Town, Costa Rica, Rotterdam and San Francisco. Guests of the Salon were invited to further delve into their creative minds through the topic of the 2019 TED Salon in Singapore, which is closely in line with Marriott Hotel’s new campaign, ‘Let Your Mind Travel’. The newly launched campaign highlights the brand’s commitment to providing an environment in which guests can be inspired, stimulated and in the best frame of mind to reach their full potential.
Prior to the event, marie claire Australia spoke to Anita on what it means for women to think outside the box – and how we can continue to challenge the norm.
Why Is It So Important To Think Outside The Box?
“I’d answer that question by saying, what box?” Kapoor says. “Because I think that that’s a false construct, to be very honest. It’s either put upon women, or women put it upon themselves. So, you have that situation, where we assume, or we don’t push back against, or we don’t push the box away, or we place ourselves in a box and never come out. I think for me, I’ve never felt like I was ever in a box. I’ve just taken that talk from the very beginning, and I understand that that sometimes has to do with upbringing or where you have grown up, and the city that you’re in and the influences that you have, but I’ve never, ever felt that I was in a box. Therefore, thinking outside the box is a natural thing. So, for me, I think it’s really about being very true and truthful to what you believe in and understanding that not everyone’s going to like it, but that if it’s your truth and you can stand up and fight for it, or be creative about it, or write a piece about it, or photograph it, or whatever it is that you do that’s creative, then it’s your truth and it matters.”
What Are Some Of The Ways You’ve Thought Creatively In Your Role?
“I see myself as a multidisciplinary presenter, and I spend a lot of time doing. I’m going to bring to the screen a huge dollop of authenticity, and I think to be authentic…Because that’s kind of a bad word now, isn’t it? It’s like, oh, authentic, what the hell does that even mean anymore? It’s like #authenticity, which is bullshit, right? I like to always retain a certain sense of naivety in everything that I do, because I really do believe that there are goodness and kindness and we’re responsible for that, and in every aspect of my work I try to bring a little bit of that onto the stage, onto the screen, and in that way, I’m being very true to myself. It’s individuality that moves a lot of things.”
How Would You Encourage Other Women To Think Creatively, To Think Differently?
“To do all of those things is fricking scary, and it’s, by the way, also scary for men, it’s just that they cover that up with what they’ve learned as children, which is to be confident. They’re not necessarily so; it’s bravado sometimes, and I think women, we are actually equipped with such a vast array of abilities that we haven’t even fully tapped yet, so I would encourage all women to be brave and to understand that when you stand alone, sometimes it can be kind of lonely. Stand up for your ideas and stand up for what you believe in. It doesn’t have to be with anger all the time.
“I think the time is coming. The pendulum has to sort of swing somewhere to the middle. It will slowly swing to the middle, where we go back to what feminism was to begin with, which was about equality, and equality needs to be something that we both represent and we both give to one another, and then you have a beautiful world in which to live.”
How Does It Feel Being Able To Bring The Amazing Stories Of These TED Fellows To Life On Stage?
“It’s brilliant, and we have two really, really cool people on stage tonight. They’re very, very evolved people, and they are very, very aware as well. For me, I’ve done two TEDx talks, both in Singapore, and it’s strangely beautiful to be on the other side of it and interviewing people who have given talks.”
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