NOLAbeings

Multimedia artist Claire Bangser created NOLAbeings as a portrait-based story project that marries image and text. Inspired by the Humans of NY project, it stems from the belief that we can all learn from one anothers’ stories. Primarily featured on Instagram (and tumblr), Claire meets people in coffee shops, grocery stores, living rooms, sidewalks, and learns something about each individual through a snapshot conversation and image. After discovering and falling in love with the project, editors at NolaVie asked to post a weekly roundup of her most visually and narratively stimulating photos.

“Right now my best friend is dying of cancer. It sucks. It’s making me realize that a lot of things I’ve been focusing on are very trivial. That I should have been spending time with people who are important to me, not just assume that they’re always going to be there.”

“I used to cry when I was in school and she used to be across the hall from me so they used to bring me to her class. She teach me that when I cry, I got somebody to lean on.”

“I got some candy at the store, got a lolli at the store, I got trucks at home, I got some money in my pocket.”

“Just take it like this ’cause I’m livin’ a secret life.”