“Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country.”
― Anaïs Nin
Petaluma became a part of a fast growing global art project this November, thanks to the passion and innovation of community-minded resident Layla Winona.
"Before I Die" is a global art project that invites people to reflect on their lives and share their personal aspirations in public space. The initial project was started by Candy Chang on an abandoned house in New Orleans after she lost someone she loved. Learn more here.
"The woman who started this project did so after experiencing profound loss in her life," explained Layla, who came across the walls around the world via a Ted Talk broadcast in September.
There are now over 525 walls all over the world.
"When I saw this project I knew that Petaluma was the perfect community for something like this and I wanted to be the one to do it," she said.
It wasn't until going through her own series of heartbreaking loss over the past year and experiencing a grief so painful she wasn't sure she would survive that Layla decided she needed to make this project happen and begin to heal.
"And recently, my father, who has been fighting cancer for 12 years, became very ill, motivating me in my final push, so that he was able to come along with me as a part of this very special project," said Layla.
"I truly love my community here in Petaluma so much. I am so excited to watch and see as every one contributes and shares their words, hopes and aspirations as the "Before I Die" wall morphs into a rainbow of dreams".
Layla encourages Petalumans and visitors to stop by the wall by the river next to TAPS and chalk a life dream. "Proposals, romantic messages, hopes and dreams," she says. She plans to maintain the wall over the next couple of months, with help from staff at TAPS. She will document it for the webiste. After that, Layla would like to travel with it, including taking it to Tahoe, where she grew up.
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