In her New Orleans neighborhood, artist and TED Fellow Candy Chang turned an abandoned house into a giant chalkboard asking a fill-in-the-blank question: “Before I die I want to ___.” Anyone walking by can pick up a piece of chalk, reflect on their lives, and share their personal aspirations in public space. Her neighbors’ answers — surprising, poignant, funny — became an unexpected mirror for the community. (What’s your answer?) The wall transformed a neglected space into a constructive one where we can understand our neighbors in new and enlightening ways, restore perspective, and remember we are not alone.

“Preparing for death is one of the most empowering things you can do. Thinking about death clarifies your life.”

Candy Chang is an artist, designer, and urban planner who explores making cities more comfortable and contemplative places. She believes in the potential of introspection and collective wisdom in public space to improve our communities and help us lead better lives. Other projects include I Wish This Was, a street art project that invites people to voice what they want in vacant storefronts, and Neighborland, an online tool that helps people self-organize and shape the development of their communities.

Watch more TED videos: Spinning Beach Ball of Death, Robots that fly & cooperate by Vijay Kumar, Dennis Hong at TED : Making a car for blind drivers, Jae Rhim Lee: My mushroom burial suit and William Li at TED : Eat to starve cancer

Before I die I want to… by Candy Chang at TED