Let Me Interview You for You
PRAXIS
2020-ongoing
This series came to life shortly after the unexpected death of a friend during the pandemic. They passed away from an illness unrelated to Covid-19. Working on their memorial keepsake, I was struck by how little of themself had been documented past early adulthood, while they look countless pictures and videos of food, holidays and children. I wanted to give people a means to be documented—from their physicality and mannerisms to headspace and life experiences—not in a performative way but as an opportunity to SEE and reflect upon themselves with objectivity and kindness. I posted an open call on social media, inviting people to be interviewed by me during the month of December in 2020. I then sent each of the 18 participants an edited version of their interview a year later in December 2021. A few of the participants gave me permission to make their interviews public. One participant requested to be interviewed again in December 2021; their edited interview will be sent to them in December 2022.
Lori, a creative director and artist based in Fort Worth, TX, talks about hitting the reset button, baking "allergy bread", and stepping into the rhythm and nature of energy.
Rachel, a musician (The Singer and the Songwriter) and poet based in Oakland, CA, talks about depression, picking up trash and new ways of relating to herself and others.
"My daughter died. My faith didn't." Scott, a Los Angeles-based middle school teacher, football coach, and dad, talks about grieving the loss of his youngest daughter who had cerebral palsy and related complications. He also discusses teaching during a pandemic, taking walks with his wife, and eating tacos to help the economy.
Sumi is a married mother of three and a GP in Warwickshire, UK. In 2020, she kept her father company in his final moment of life and overcame her fear of death. Where do we go after we die? Sumi's not sure but she knows now that it's somewhere.
For Wes, 2020 consisted of checking email, reading articles about politics and sports, and grieving well as a life lesson for his children. He also talks about the importance of optimism and compassion in storytelling while at the precipice of letting go of his long-held Hollywood Dream.