February 2011, the artist, designer, and urban planner Candy Chang transformed an abandoned
home in her New Orleans neighborhood into a living work of art. She had recently lost someone
she cared for deeply, and was reflecting on the meaning of life and what truly mattered to her. She
was curious to know if other people had similar thoughts about living with a sense of urgency and
purpose so she created an enormous chalkboard running the height and width of one side of the
abandoned home. She then stenciled the words “Before I Die . . .” at the top of the wall, and created
dozens of spaces with the words “Before I die, I want to _____________” in grids across the
surface. Chang provided the chalk needed to fill in the blanks, and waited in anticipation to see what
would happen. Would people participate? Would it be vandalized? Would anyone even notice?
She didn’t have to wonder for long. The installation was an immediate hit, as neighborhood
residents and passersby filled it with their hopes, dreams, and aspirations. Some of the contributions
were impersonal and matter of fact, and some were deeply personal: