What is the one thing you want to do before you die? That’s the simple and profound
question the Before I die I want to... project has been asking people from all walks of
life for the past two years. The Before I die I want to… Project was conceived in 2008
as part of an exhibition at a Chicago art gallery where creators, Nicole Kenney and KS
Rives were curators. The idea was to get people to think about their lives, and their
deaths, in a positive, life-affirming way. It works like this: The photographer asks the
participant, “What do you want to do before you die?” while simultaneously taking
the their picture with a classic Polaroid camera. As the Polaroid develops, they ask the
person to write their response in their own handwriting at the bottom of the photo.
They then post the portraits on their web site, beforeidieiwanto.org, and enter the
person’s contact info into a database in order to keep a dialogue open with the person
as he or she takes steps towards achieving their dream.

What began as a small art project quickly grew to an international phenomenon, as
people responded with unbridled enthusiasm at the opportunity to turn inward for a
brief moment and take stock of their life goals. So far, the team has collected more than
1,300 responses from people all around the world, and have empowered communities
to ask each other the question and gather responses. Their site has inspired legions of
fans and garnered worldwide media coverage. Called “fascinating and beautiful” by
Glamour magazine, Before I die I want to… has become a window into our collective
dreams, aspirations and fears.

Learn more: http://beforeidieiwantto.org