TEDx Albury: Let’s Talk About Death, Baby!
- Kara Chanter
- Oct 28
- 5 min read
I am still buzzing from the weekend’s TEDx Albury at the Albury Entertainment Centre. Stepping onto that red circle to give my talk, “Let’s Talk About Death, Baby!” — and yes, I may or may not have channeled my inner Salt-N-Pepa and thought, “Let’s talk about death, baby, let’s talk about all the good and the crazy” — was one of those moments that makes you proud, terrified, and ridiculously alive all at once.
And yes — this was the first time my family had seen me speak live. After more than three years doulaing and twelve years as a palliative care nurse, having them in the audience watching me do the work I love — the work I throw my whole heart into — was surreal, beautiful, and a little nerve-wracking. Their smiles, laughs, and proud faces made the experience unforgettable.
The Spark Behind the Talk
The idea for this talk actually came from a conversation with a friend about a very embarrassing, utterly un-fun dating disaster. We laughed, cringed, and shook our heads at all the ridiculous people we had been with, and it hit us — we know a lot about the questionable humans in our past (among other things), but very little about each other in terms of end-of-life wishes.
That was a real “wow” moment. Why can we talk about bad dates, awkward nights out, or embarrassing life choices without blinking.....but death? Death is taboo. And so, naturally, I decided to do what I do best: talk about death like it is not the end of the world (pun absolutely intended).
And yes, in true signature, weird style, I even included a cheeky moment about putting a little something something on a banana. Because humor breaks the tension. Because relatability makes it stick. Because life is messy and ridiculous — and death is part of that mess.
What I Talked About
Without giving too much away (you will have to watch it on the TEDx Albury site when the links become live), my talk explored:
How to talk about death without fear, without euphemisms, without tiptoeing around it
Stories from my work as a nurse and doula — some messy, some poignant, some downright funny
How having these conversations can make living feel bigger, fuller, and braver
Basically - I wanted people to leave feeling that death does not have to be scary, stiff, or silenced. That it can be practical, meaningful, and even a little playful — because life is (and should be).
The Energy in the Room
The energy at TEDx Albury was electric. The audience was curious, warm, and fully present. MC Tash Quinn tied the evening together beautifully, bringing heart, humor, and just the right amount of chaos. The other speakers and performers reminded me that big ideas need big hearts, and this room had both in bucket loads.
Huge thankyou - so much - to the TEDx team, especially Ann-Maree Imrie and Kellie Davies, for supporting and caring for all of us speakers and running such a seamless event. And of course, a massive shout-out to the sponsors, Regional Development Australia Murray and Hume Bank, whose support made it all possible.
Sharing the Stage
It was such an honour to present alongside:
Graeme Simpfendorfer, Yi Chi Wang, Narayan Khanal, Daniel Searle, Matt AJ Anderson, Julia Brown, and Brendon Hyndman.
Each brought insight, energy, and creativity to the stage. It was inspiring to see ideas from so many different fields come together in one room, reminding me that stories, conversation, and ideas truly shape how we live — and how we die.
What Death Teaches Us
Here is the thing: death teaches us so much more about life than we realise.
It teaches us to love harder, to be sillier, to say the wrong thing, to laugh too loud, to forgive faster, and to stop waiting for the perfect moment (and just say the damn thing) — because it might never come.
It teaches us to book the flight. To be impulsive. To do the thing. (Case in point: I entered a ticket ballot on a whim and will end up going to Brighton and the UK for a month next year to see Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. One accidental click and suddenly, hellooo Europe!)
Death teaches us to be funny, to be too much, to cry in Woolies, to wear the ridiculous outfit, to love people before it is comfortable, to love people more than what they love you, to always be the bigger person - and to accept that, sometimes, we are the problem. (Hi, it’s me.)
Because at the end of the day — the people who love us will love us for us. In all our weirdness, Nick Cave obsessions, chaos, and imperfection.
And when all is said and done, we will all die anyway. So why not live like we mean it?
Why This Talk Matters
We all die. Eventually. Some incredibly sadly, earlier than what we should. But avoiding the conversation does not make it easier. Talking about death, laughing about death, planning for it — even putting a little humor on a banana — transforms fear into connection, love, clarity, and courage.
Death does not have to be silent. It does not have to be scary. It can be messy. It can be beautiful. And yes, sometimes it can be both.
TEDx gave me a platform to encourage people to see death differently. To open the conversation. To laugh a little, maybe cry a little, and absolutely live a little harder because of it.
My Funeral Wishes (for fun, obviously)
If you have made it this far — congratulations, you have earned the inside scoop on my future farewell plans!
When I die (which, statistically, I definitely will), here is what I want:
Color. Everywhere. None of this black-only nonsense. Think bright, bold, slightly clashing and unhinged — just like me.
Loud music. Not funeral songs. Give me Nick Cave, Fleetwood Mac, Johnny Cash, ABBA, and maybe a little Slayer for good measure.
Glitter and confetti. Everywhere. And I mean - everywhere. I want you to find those bad boys on the floor in 12 months from my funeral and go "bloody hell Kara" - sparkle chaos.
My ashes? Shoot me out of a cannon. Or a firework. Whichever is more logistically (and legally) possible.
....Then party. A big one. Drink, dance, tell stories — especially about all the ridiculous things I have done. My dating history alone should provide hours of entertainment.
Because that is the point, isn’t it? Life is wild. Love is messy. Death is inevitable. But if we can find a way to celebrate all of it — we have done something right.
Watch the Talk
I will not give away the full talk — you will have to see it yourself. Watch “Let’s Talk About Death, Baby!” on the TEDx website soon (I will provide a link when it becomes live), and maybe, just maybe, you will leave thinking:
I could talk about this.
I could plan for this.
I could laugh at this.
This woman is unhinged.
Because life is messy, beautiful, confusing, and fleeting — and death is part of that ride.
A final Note
If you have been putting off your funeral playlist, consider this your sign. Mine starts with ABBA, ends with Slayer, and involves more glitter than is probably safe. Life is too short to be anything but outrageously, unapologetically yourself.
With so much love,
Kara Chanter
End-of-Life Mischief Manager & Glitter Advocate | Albury Wodonga
Comments