Who has shaped us? Where have we been, and where are we going? What challenges us, and what fulfills us? What are we grateful for each day?

 

The answers to these questions lie at the basis of how we construct our identities, and how we tell our own stories. 

 

My initial interrogation of the integral relationship between storytelling and activism quickly became an exploration into the unique experiences we all hold within us, and how connected we are because of

— rather than in spite of — our uniqueness. 

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The questions I asked each subject were as follows:

1. Can you tell me about a person who's changed the course of your life, at any point?

2. Can you tell me how you came to this type of work?

3. Can you tell me how you came to BUILD?

4. Can you tell me about a time that you've struggled in this work?

5. Can you tell me about a time that you've felt true fulfillment in this work? 

6. What are 3 things you are grateful for, in this moment?

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The beauty in these conversations ended up lying between the lines of my questions. Despite posing the same questions, I was gifted with stories from grandparents, to music, to adoption, to creativity, to religion, and so much more.

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This project was never supposed to be a scientific study, or a comparative analysis of what activism is or should be. Rather, my goal was always to create human connections through storytelling, learn about how these individuals came to this work and this organization, and create a space for a moment of empathy, peace, and gratitude.