Before I Die, I want to... ift.tt/1jRtdnX Candy Chang created the first Before I Die wall in 2011 on the side of an abandoned building in New Orleans. It disappeared a few months later when a developer bought the structure. Since then, more than 400 walls have sprung up in 60 countries, from Afghanistan to Chile. Check out some of the hopes and dreams being shared on walls around the globe: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 The Before I Die global art project invites people to share hopes, dreams on public walls More than 400 Before I Die have been created in 60 countries and in 25 languages Before I Die walls are celebrated in a new book out this month Creator Candy Chang reflects upon the 5 most prominent themes on the walls (CNN) -- After losing a close friend to liver failure, Candy Chang spent a lot of time thinking about how she wanted to live out her days. Contemplating death brought clarity to her life, but she struggled to maintain perspective amid the daily grind. She wondered whether other people went through the same struggle, and what mattered to them. She decided to invite others to share those thoughts by painting a chalkboard on the side of an abandoned house in New Orleans stenciled with the sentence Before I die I want to ________. What began as an experiment in making a public space into a shared spaces has become a global art project, with more than 400 Before I die walls in 60 countries and 25 languages. Its been quite the journey for Chang, who did not launch the project with plans to expand beyond New Orleans. But it resonated among pockets of passionate people around the globe. Our public spaces are as profound as we allow them to be, Chang, an artist, designer and urban planner, said in an e-mail. Before I die, I want to... Our public spaces are our shared spaces, and they have a lot of potential to offer us a more valuable and meaningful kind of life. I think about why we came together in the first place. Some of the earliest gathering places were graves and sacred groves. We gathered so we could grieve together and worship together and console one another and be alone together. Many of the walls disappear a few months after theyre born, just like Changs did, after someone bought the building and renovated it. Then, others pop up. Such is life. In honor of the release of the first book celebrating Before I dies global footprint, we asked Chang to reflect upon the most common themes expressed in the walls. Hopefully, they inspire you to reconsider your hopes, dreams and aspirations. Dont miss out on the conversation were having at CNN Living. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest stories and tell us whats influencing your life. 1. Well-being Before I die came out of Changs grief and depression, and the responses have reassured me that Im not alone as I try to make sense of myself, she said. Carl Jung said its easier to go to the moon than it is to penetrate ones own being. Mental health takes as much exertion as physical health, she said. Examples: Abandon all insecurities (New Orleans) Come to terms with who I am (Washington) Meditations on well-being on a wall in Townsville, Australia. Slow down for a moment and maybe even stop (Portsmouth, Hew Hampshire) Find serenity (Vicenza, Italy) Stop being afraid (Jerusalem) Overcome depression (Newport News, Virginia) Lose my fear of death (Trujillo, Peru) Find what Im looking for (San Francisco) Heal (Montreal) Find closure (Erfurt, Germany) Keep getting better every day (Chung-Li, Taiwan) Feel comfortable in my skin (Burning Man festival) Reach my constant happiness (Berlin) Learn to be brave (Almaty, Kazakhstan) Right all my wrongs (Brooklyn) Learn how to enjoy myself and let go (Savannah, Georgia) Feel that nothing was missing or left over (Santiago, Chile) 2. Love Love and be loved is one of the most common responses on walls around the world, Chang said. Shes also seen budding romance on walls. In New Orleans, someone wrote, Before I die I want to eat a salad with an alien, and someone else drew an arrow and wrote Before I die I want to marry this person, she said. Examples: Love her until the end of the world (Cordoba, Argentina) Sleep with a harp player (Lisbon, Portugal) Giving and receiving love are recurring themes on the walls. Get married for the 10th time (Dublin) Find and kiss her one last time (Chicago) Find my true love (Beijing) Love recklessly again (New Orleans) Find my other half (Madrid) Accompany him forever (Chung-Li, Taiwan) Be loved unconditionally (Jersey City, New Jersey) 3. Travel Who doesnt have a long list of places theyd like to visit? Travel can be the hardest thing to find the time and money to invest in, but that doesnt stop us from dreaming and plotting adventures. My family had a big white van that we drove all over the place when I was a kid, Chang said. Ever since, traveling has been my school and my therapy. Ive taken many road trips across America, and I worked in Nairobi, Helsinki, Medan, Johannesburg and beyond. Those experiences deeply shaped who I am today. Its made me more open-minded, reflective, compassionate, and grateful. Examples: Travel around the world by foot (Almaty, Kazakhstan) Ride a motorcycle across South America (Cordoba, Argentina) Travel goals in Reno, Nevada: Finish climbing Everest. Take my wife to Liverpool (Portsmouth, New Hampshire) Ride my bike up the top ten highest mountains in Thailand (Chiang Mai, Thailand) Visit Venice with the love of my life (Auckland, New Zealand) Drive Route 66 (Melbourne, Australia) Travel across India on a bike (Hyderabad, India) Straddle the International Date Line (New Orleans) Finish climbing Everest (Reno, Nevada) Enjoy a pleasant cruise (Pohang City, South Korea) 4. Helping others Many of us say wed like to donate lots of money, change a childs life, help my neighbor or build a public school and a shelter. But putting others ahead of ourselves can be a tall order for some, especially in an era of instant gratification. But, its never too late, said Chang, and even the smallest gesture can last a lifetime. Ill never forget a middle school art teacher who encouraged me when I was full of self-doubt, a neighbor who fixed my bike pedal or a stranger who went out of his way to return my lost bag. Compassion lasts much longer than the moment. Examples: Teach kids to live love and be free (Johannesburg) Save lives (Dubai) Help people through neuroscience (Portsmouth, New Hampshire) Fix Nicks car (Cape Town, South Africa) Make someones day (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) See a just society (Madrid) Do something for animals and make the world a better place (Hyderabad, India) 5. Family Making this project made me realize how much more I want to know my parents, Chang said. Im glad were at a stage where were good friends now, and I ask them fifty questions for every photograph from their childhood. Each week, my dad sends me endearing stories that only enhance the inspiring mythology of our lives. Examples: Bring peace of mind to my mom (Brooklyn) See my youngest fly (Minneapolis) See where my grandma grew up (Townsville, Australia) See my parents again (Erfurt, Germany) Speak with my children one last time (Cordoba, Spain) Make my parents proud (Burning Man festival) See my daughter graduate (New Orleans) Be back in my kids life (Reno, Nevada) Build a house for my mother (Trujillo, Peru) Meet my daughter (Montreal) Be a grandfather (Madrid) Take care of my parents (Hyderabad) Have seven children (Asunción, Paraguay) Raise good kids (Charleston, South Carolina)
Posted on: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 17:02:26 +0000
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