ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Candy Chang - Artist, designer, urban planner
Candy Chang creates art that prompts people to think about their secrets, wishes and hopes -- and then share them. She is a TED Senior Fellow.

Why you should listen

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.

Recent projects include Before I Die, where she transformed an abandoned house in her neighborhood in New Orleans into an interactive wall for people to share their hopes and dreams -- a project The Atlantic called “one of the most creative community projects ever.” 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. She is a TED Senior Fellow, an Urban Innovation Fellow, and was named a “Live Your Best Life” Local Hero by Oprah magazine. By combining street art with urban planning and social activism, she has been recognized as a leader in developing new strategies for the design of our cities. She is co-founder of Civic Center, an art and design studio in New Orleans. See more at candychang.com.

Coming up: Before I Die ... the book!

More profile about the speaker
Candy Chang | Speaker | TED.com
TEDGlobal 2012

Candy Chang: Before I die I want to ...

Candy Chang: Kabla ya Kufa nataka...........

Filmed:
5,640,247 views

Katika eneo lake analoishi katika mji wa New Orleans,msanii na Mshirika wa TED ,Candy Chang aligeuza nyumba iliyotelekezwa na kuwa ubao mkubwa akiomba watu kuweka majibu yao katika swali: “Kabla ya kufa nataka ___.” Majibu ya majirani zake' -- yalishangaza, yalifurahisha -- na ikawa ni kioo kisichotegemewa cha jamii. (Jibu lako ni lipi?)
- Artist, designer, urban planner
Candy Chang creates art that prompts people to think about their secrets, wishes and hopes -- and then share them. She is a TED Senior Fellow. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:16
There are a lot of waysnjia the people around us
0
608
3700
Kuna njia nyingi ambazo watu wanaotuzunguka
00:20
can help improvekuboresha our livesanaishi.
1
4308
2127
wanaweza kuboresha maisha yetu
00:22
We don't bumpmapema into everykila neighborjirani,
2
6435
1492
Hatuonani na jirani zetu
00:23
so a lot of wisdomhekima never getshupata passedilipita on,
3
7927
2950
kwa hiyo maarifa mengi yanashindwa kusambaa
00:26
thoughingawa we do sharekushiriki the samesawa publicumma spacesnafasi.
4
10877
2882
pamoja na kwamba wote tunashiriki sehemu zile zile za jamii yote
00:29
So over the pastzilizopita fewwachache yearsmiaka, I've triedwalijaribu waysnjia to sharekushiriki more
5
13759
3128
Kwa hiyo miaka michache iliyopita, nimejaribu kutafuta njia za kushirikiana zaidi
00:32
with my neighborsmajirani in publicumma spacenafasi,
6
16887
2340
na majirani zangu katika maeneo ya jamii yote
00:35
usingkutumia simplerahisi toolszana like stickersstika, stencilsstencils and chalkChaki.
7
19227
3342
Kwa kutumia vifaa rahisi kama stika ,karatasi nyembamba na chaki
00:38
And these projectsmiradi camealikuja from questionsmaswali I had, like,
8
22569
2947
Mipango hii ilitokana na maswali niliyokuwa nayo kama
00:41
how much are my neighborsmajirani payingkulipa for theirwao apartmentsvyumba?
9
25516
3960
Ni kiasi gani majirani zangu wanalipa kwa ajili ya nyumba zao?
00:45
(LaughterKicheko) How can we lendmikopo and borrowazima more things
10
29476
2925
(Vicheko) Je ni jinsi gani tunaweza kuazimishana vitu vingi zaidi
00:48
withoutbila knockingkugonga on eachkila mmoja other'snyingine doorsmilango at a badmbaya time?
11
32401
3825
bila kugonga katika milango wakati usio mzuri?
00:52
How can we sharekushiriki more of our memorieskumbukumbu
12
36226
2704
Je tunawezaje kushirikishana kumbukumbu zetu zaidi
00:54
of our abandonedkutelekezwa buildingsmajengo,
13
38930
1865
za majengo yetu yaliyotelekezwa
00:56
and gainkupata a better understandinguelewa of our landscapemazingira?
14
40795
3558
na kuyaelewa zaidi mazingira yetu
01:00
And how can we sharekushiriki more of our hopesmatumaini
15
44353
2342
Ni vipi tunaweza kushirikishana matumaini yetu zaidi.
01:02
for our vacantvilivyo wazi storefrontsstorefronts, so our communitiesjamii
16
46695
3144
kuhusu maduka yasiyo na watu, ili jamii zetu
01:05
can reflectkutafakari our needsmahitaji and dreamsndoto todayleo?
17
49839
4269
ziendane na mahitahi yetu na ndoto zetu?
01:10
Now, I livekuishi in NewMpya OrleansOrleans,
18
54108
2621
Sasa naishi New Orleans,
01:12
and I am in love with NewMpya OrleansOrleans.
19
56729
2341
Ninaipenda New Orleans
01:14
My soulnafsi is always soothedtumbukia by the giantkubwa livekuishi oakmwaloni treesmiti,
20
59070
4410
Nafsi yangu inaburudishwa na miti mikubwa ya mwalo
01:19
shadingutiaji kivuli kwa rangi loverswapenzi, drunkswala and dreamerslakini
21
63480
2758
inayowafunika wapenzi,walevi na watu wanaowaza mambo makubwa
01:22
for hundredsmamia of yearsmiaka, and I trusttumaini a cityjiji
22
66238
3115
kwa mamia ya miaka, na nauamini mji
01:25
that always makeshufanya way for musicmuziki. (LaughterKicheko)
23
69353
2542
ambao wakati wote una njia kwa ajili ya muziki
01:27
I feel like everykila time someonemtu sneezesau kupiga chafya,
24
71895
2161
Nahisi kama kila wakati ambapo mtu atakuwa anakoroma,
01:29
NewMpya OrleansOrleans has a paradekupigana. (LaughterKicheko)
25
74056
2813
New Orleans kuna gwaride.(Vicheko)
01:32
The cityjiji has some of the mostwengi beautifulnzuri architectureusanifu
26
76869
2373
Mji huu una baadhi ya majengo ambayo ni mazuri sana
01:35
in the worldulimwengu, but it alsopia has one of the highestjuu amountskiasi
27
79242
2233
katika dunia,lakini pia una namba kubwa
01:37
of abandonedkutelekezwa propertiesmali in AmericaAmerika.
28
81475
2335
ya majengo yaliyotelekezwa katika nchi ya Marekani
01:39
I livekuishi nearkaribu this housenyumba, and I thought about how I could
29
83810
3169
Ninaishi karibu na nyumba hii, na nilifikiri ni jinsi gani ninavyoweza
01:42
make it a nicernicer spacenafasi for my neighborhoodjirani,
30
86979
2678
kuifanya kuwa sehemu nzuri kwa ajili mtaa wangu,
01:45
and I alsopia thought about something
31
89657
2103
na pia niliwaza kuhusu kitu kingine
01:47
that changediliyopita my life forevermilele.
32
91760
4546
ambacho kilibadilisha maisha yangu milele
01:52
In 2009, I lostpotea someonemtu I lovedkupendwa very much.
33
96306
4411
Mwaka 2009,nilifiwa na mtu ambaye nilimpenda sana,
01:56
Her namejina was JoanJoan, and she was a mothermama to me,
34
100717
3857
Jina lake ni Joan,na alikuwa ni mama yangu
02:00
and her deathkifo was suddenghafla and unexpectedzisizotarajiwa.
35
104574
4036
Kifo chake kilikuwa cha ghafla bila kutarajiwa
02:07
And I thought about deathkifo a lot,
36
111291
3545
Niliwaza sana kuhusu kifo
02:13
and
37
117251
2558
na
02:15
this madealifanya me feel deepkina gratitudeshukrani for the time I've had,
38
119809
3985
hii ilinifanya nijae moyo wa shukrani kwa muda nilio nao
02:19
and
39
123794
2401
na
02:23
broughtkuletwa clarityuwazi to the things that are meaningfulmaana
40
127154
2633
ilinisaidia kuangalia vizuri vitu vyenye maana
02:25
to my life now.
41
129787
3518
katika maisha yangu kwa sasa.
02:30
But I strugglemapambano to maintainkudumisha this perspectivemtazamo in my dailykila siku life.
42
134850
4668
Lakini napata shida kudumu katika hali hii katika maisha yangu ya kila siku.
02:35
I feel like it's easyrahisi to get caughthawakupata up in the day-to-daysiku kwa siku,
43
139518
2779
Nahisi ni rahisi kusongwa na matukio ya kila siku,
02:38
and forgetkusahau what really mattersmambo to you.
44
142297
2512
na kusahau mambo ya maana hasa kwako.
02:40
So with help from oldzamani and newmpya friendsmarafiki,
45
144809
2325
Kwa hiyo kwa msaada wa marafiki wa zamani na wapya,
02:43
I turnedakageuka the sideupande of this abandonedkutelekezwa housenyumba
46
147134
2060
Niligeuza upande wa nyumba hii iliyotelekezwa
02:45
into a giantkubwa chalkboardubao wa chokaa and stenciledstenciled it
47
149194
2419
na kuwa ubao mkubwa sanana kuuwekea karatasi nyembamba
02:47
with a fill-in-the-blankkujaza pengo sentencesentensi:
48
151613
2330
na sentensi ambayo ilitakiwa ijazwe ikisema
02:49
"Before I diekufa, I want to ... "
49
153943
4241
"Kabla sijafa,nataka
02:54
So anyoneyeyote walkingkutembea by can pickpick up a piecekipande of chalkChaki,
50
158184
3284
Kwa hiyo kila aliyepita aangeweza kuchukua chaki,
02:57
reflectkutafakari on theirwao livesanaishi, and sharekushiriki theirwao personalbinafsi aspirationsmatarajio
51
161468
2938
kutafakari maisha yake,na kutoa mawazo yake
03:00
in publicumma spacenafasi.
52
164406
2530
katika eneo la wazi
03:02
I didn't know what to expectwanatarajia from this experimentjaribio,
53
166936
3668
sikujua niwaze nini kuhusu jaribio hili
03:06
but by the nextijayo day, the wallukuta was entirelykabisa filledkujazwa out,
54
170604
2622
lakini mpaka siku iliyofuata, ukuta wote ulijaa
03:09
and it keptimehifadhiwa growingkukua.
55
173226
2158
na uliendelea kukua.
03:11
And I'd like to sharekushiriki a fewwachache things
56
175384
1780
na ningependa nitawashirikisha vitu vichache
03:13
that people wrotealiandika on this wallukuta.
57
177164
4780
ambavyo watu waliandika katika ubao huu.
03:17
"Before I diekufa, I want to be triedwalijaribu for piracyuharamia." (LaughterKicheko)
58
181944
9544
"Kabla ya kufa,ningependa nishitakiwe kwa uharamia."(Vicheko)
03:27
"Before I diekufa, I want to straddlestraddle the InternationalKimataifa DateTarehe LineMstari."
59
191488
6318
."Kabla ya kufa,nataka kusafiri kuufuata mstari wa kimataifa wa tarehe"
03:33
"Before I diekufa, I want to singkuimba for millionsmamilioni."
60
197806
4334
"Kabla ya kufa,nataka niimbe kwa ajili ya mamilioni."
03:38
"Before I diekufa, I want to plantmmea a treemti."
61
202140
6730
"Kabla ya kufa,nataka nipande mti."
03:44
"Before I diekufa, I want to livekuishi off the gridgridi ya taifa."
62
208870
4480
"Kabla ya kufa,nataka niishe bila kutegemea umeme."
03:49
"Before I diekufa, I want to holdkushikilia her one more time."
63
213350
6053
"Kabla ya kufa,nataka nimkumbatie tena kwa mara nyingine."
03:55
"Before I diekufa, I want to be someone'smtu cavalrywapanda farasi."
64
219403
5800
"Kabla ya kufa,nataka niwe askari wa farasi."
04:01
"Before I diekufa, I want to be completelykabisa myselfMimi mwenyewe."
65
225205
5561
"Kabla ya kufa,nataka kuwa peke yangu."
04:09
So this neglectedkupuuzwa spacenafasi becameikawa a constructivekujenga one,
66
233525
4445
Kwa hiyo sehemu hii iliyotelekezwa ikageuka kuwa sehememu ya matengenezo,
04:13
and people'swatu hopesmatumaini and dreamsndoto
67
237970
2247
matumaini na maono ya watu
04:16
madealifanya me laughCheka out loudsauti kubwa, teartamaa up,
68
240217
2435
ilinifanya nicheke, nilie
04:18
and they consoledlitue jicho me duringwakati my ownmwenyewe toughngumu timesnyakati.
69
242652
3454
na kwa njia hii walinifariji katika wakati wangu mgumu.
04:22
It's about knowingkujua you're not alonepeke yake.
70
246106
2438
Ni kwa ajili ya kujua kuwa hauko peke yako.
04:24
It's about understandinguelewa our neighborsmajirani
71
248544
1489
Ni kwa ajili ya majirani zetu
04:25
in newmpya and enlighteningkuangaza waysnjia.
72
250033
2304
kwa njia mpya na za kupendeza
04:28
It's about makingkufanya spacenafasi for reflectionkutafakari and contemplationkutafakari,
73
252337
3286
ni kwa aajili ya kuwa na nafasi ya kutafakari na kuwaza yale unayoyapenda kuwa nayo
04:31
and rememberingkukumbuka what really mattersmambo mostwengi to us
74
255623
2743
na kukumbuka ni nini hasa ambacho ni cha muhimu kwa wengi wetu
04:34
as we growkukua and changemabadiliko.
75
258366
3256
kadiri tunavyokua na kubadilika
04:37
I madealifanya this last yearmwaka, and startedilianza receivingkupokea
76
261622
2922
nilifanya hivi mwaka jana, na nikaanza kupokea
04:40
hundredsmamia of messagesujumbe from passionateshauku people
77
264544
2295
mamia ya jumbe kutoka kwa watu
04:42
who wanted to make a wallukuta with theirwao communityjumuiya,
78
266839
2441
ambao walitaka kutengeneza mbao na kuta kama hii katika jamii zao,
04:45
so my civickiraia centerkituo colleagueswenzake and I madealifanya a toolchombo kitkit, and now
79
269280
3364
kwa hiyo washirika wangu na mimi tukatengeneza boksi la vifaa vinavyohitajika kwa ajili ya kazi hii
04:48
wallskuta have been madealifanya in countriesnchi around the worldulimwengu,
80
272644
2678
na kwa sasa kuta kama hii zimetengenezwa sehemu mbalimbali duniani,
04:51
includingikiwa ni pamoja na KazakhstanKazakhstani, SouthKusini AfricaAfrika,
81
275322
5863
Ikiwemo Kazakhstan, Afrika ya Kusini,
04:57
AustraliaAustralia,
82
281185
2616
Australia,
04:59
ArgentinaAjentina and beyondzaidi.
83
283801
2700
Argentina na zaidi ya hapo
05:02
TogetherPamoja, we'vetumekuwa shownimeonyeshwa how powerfulnguvu our publicumma spacesnafasi
84
286501
2701
Pamoja,tumeonyesha jinsi sehemu za wazi zinavyoweza
05:05
can be if we're givenalipewa the opportunitynafasi to have a voicesauti
85
289202
2858
kuwa na uwezo mkubwa kama tutapewa nafasi ya kuongea
05:07
and sharekushiriki more with one anothermwingine.
86
292060
3093
na kushirikishana.
05:13
Two of the mostwengi valuablethamani things we have are time
87
297246
3454
Vitu vya thamani zaidi tulivyo navyo ni muda
05:16
and our relationshipsmahusiano with other people.
88
300700
3047
na mahusiano yetu na watu wengine
05:19
In our ageumri of increasingkuongezeka distractionsVichanganishi,
89
303747
2907
Katika wakati huu ambao kuna mambo mengi ya kututoa katika mambo muhimu,
05:22
it's more importantmuhimu than ever to find waysnjia to maintainkudumisha
90
306654
2876
Ni muhimu sana kutafuta njia za
05:25
perspectivemtazamo and rememberkumbuka that life is briefkifupi and tenderzabuni.
91
309530
4669
kudumu katika mambo muhimu na kukumbuka kuwa maisha ni mafupi na mepesi
05:30
DeathKifo is something that we're oftenmara nyingi discouragedtamaa
92
314199
2189
Mara nyingi tunavunjwa moyo kuongelea kuhusu kifo
05:32
to talk about or even think about, but
93
316388
2074
au kuwaza kuhusu kifo,lakini
05:34
I've realizedgundua that preparingkuandaa for deathkifo
94
318462
2596
nimetambua kuwa kujiandaa na kifo
05:36
is one of the mostwengi empoweringkuwezesha things you can do.
95
321058
2694
ni moja kati ya vitu vya kukujenga sana
05:39
ThinkingKufikiri about deathkifo clarifieskinafafanua your life.
96
323752
3590
kufikiri kuhusu kifo , kunayafafanua maisha yako.
05:45
Our sharedimeshirikiwa spacesnafasi can better reflectkutafakari what mattersmambo to us
97
329711
2913
Maeneo ya wazi na jamii yote yanaweza yakaonyesha ni kitu gani muhimu kwetu
05:48
as individualswatu binafsi and as a communityjumuiya,
98
332624
3020
kwa mtu mmoja mmoja na kama jamii,
05:51
and with more waysnjia to sharekushiriki our hopesmatumaini, fearshofu and storieshadithi,
99
335644
3903
na tukiwa na njia nyingi za kushirikishana matumaini, hofu na hadithi zetu,
05:55
the people around us can not only help us
100
339547
2229
watu wanaotuzunguka sio tu wanaweza kutusaidia
05:57
make better placesmaeneo, they can help us leadkuongoza better livesanaishi.
101
341776
4436
kufanya maeneo haya kuwa mazuri, lakini wakaishi vizuri pia.
06:02
Thank you. (ApplauseMakofi)
102
346212
2595
Asante.(Makofi)
06:04
(ApplauseMakofi)
103
348807
3251
(Makofi)
06:07
Thank you. (ApplauseMakofi)
104
352058
2757
Asante.(Makofi)
06:10
(ApplauseMakofi)
105
354815
3862
(Makofi)
Translated by Joachim Mangilima
Reviewed by Nelson Simfukwe

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Candy Chang - Artist, designer, urban planner
Candy Chang creates art that prompts people to think about their secrets, wishes and hopes -- and then share them. She is a TED Senior Fellow.

Why you should listen

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.

Recent projects include Before I Die, where she transformed an abandoned house in her neighborhood in New Orleans into an interactive wall for people to share their hopes and dreams -- a project The Atlantic called “one of the most creative community projects ever.” 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. She is a TED Senior Fellow, an Urban Innovation Fellow, and was named a “Live Your Best Life” Local Hero by Oprah magazine. By combining street art with urban planning and social activism, she has been recognized as a leader in developing new strategies for the design of our cities. She is co-founder of Civic Center, an art and design studio in New Orleans. See more at candychang.com.

Coming up: Before I Die ... the book!

More profile about the speaker
Candy Chang | Speaker | TED.com