This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. What if art is a powerful resource, a well to tap into that can help us address our biggest challenges, connect us to our common humanity and make meaning of our every day lives? Laura Zabel defines art as "integral, important, relevant…but not special." and asks us all to identify ourselves artists and change our communities for the better.

Laura Zabel is the Executive Director of Springboard for the Arts, an economic and community development agency whose programs help artists make a living and communities tap into the resource that artists provide. Springboard recently launched a national platform, Creative Exchange, to share stories and resources, and its programs have been replicated in over 50 communities across the country. Springboard's projects also include Community Supported Art, which connects artists directly with patrons; the Artists Access to Healthcare program; and the Irrigate project. Zabel is a 2014 Bush Foundation Fellow and the recipient of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits Visionary Leader Award.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)