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Leslie is an internationally acclaimed designer, illustrator, children’s book author, astrologer and corporate speaker on the topic of creative thinking. Despite having no training in art, she launched her eco-friendly design company, McGuirk’s Quirks, in 1984 with a line of T-shirts, later building the iconic brand to include over 1,500 products sold worldwide.

McGuirk also became a principle designer for the high-end Japanese department store, Takashimaya. Her design client list includes Panasonic, Asatsu, Mitsubishi, as well as the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel, for which she designed the interior. She has written and illustrated over 20 children’s books published by Candlewick Press, Random House, Dutton’s Children’s Books, and Macmillan, with over two million copies sold worldwide. Her first adult non-fiction book, The Power Of Mercury, will be published by Harper Collins on September 13, 2016.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx