Artist’s ‘Before I Die’ walls become global art project

A few years ago, as she dealt with grief and depression following the loss of a close friend, artist Candy Chang launched her "Before I Die…" project, an interactive art instalment that encouraged the public to share their bucket-list items.

It started in New Orleans. Chang was granted permission to paint an amabdoned house with chalkboard paint. She then stencilled a grid of the sentence "Before I die I want to ____," hoping that passersby would fill in the blanks.

It wasn't long before more than 80 responses filled the wall, including:

"Before I die I want to … sing for millions, plant a tree, hold her one more time, straddle the International Date Line, see my daughter graduate, eat more everything, abandon all insecurities, be completely myself."

Photos of the project posted online led to inquiries: people from all over the world wanted to replicate the project in their towns and cities, too.

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To date, more than 400 "Before I Die" walls have popped up in more than 60 countries, including Kazakhstan, Mexico, Iraq, Haiti, South Korea and South Africa — and there's no sign of the global art project slowing down.

Diedre, a wall organizer from New Jersey, told CBS News that a common theme on the walls is how many of the dreams are actually very achievable.

"They seemed totally attainable – things people could do very easily. It was fascinating to realize that everyone sees different limitations and different possibilities in their lives," she said.

The project came to both Vancouver and Toronto in 2012. (See photos of Toronto's wall here.)

Walls popped up in Winnipeg and Charlottetown this past fall.

"Our public spaces are as profound as we allow them to be," Chang, an artist, designer and urban planner, said in an e-mail to CNN.

"Our public spaces are our shared spaces, and they have a lot of potential to offer us a more valuable and meaningful kind of life. I think about why we came together in the first place. Some of the earliest gathering places were graves and sacred groves. We gathered so we could grieve together and worship together and console one another and be alone together."

Photos of the some of the thousands of written-down aspirations have been compiled into a recently published book, Before I Die.

Chang shared some of her favourite "Before I die" responses with TED blog:

"Before I die I want to stare at the stars with the people I love," wrote someone in Pohang City, South Korea.

"Before I die I want to own my own ice cream factory," read the wall in Asunción, Paraguay.

In Newport News, Virginia, someone wrote, "Before I die I want to overcome depression."

"Before I die I want to stop being afraid," someone shared in Jerusalem, Israel.

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"I've been receiving touching messages from people around the world who have seen their response featured in the new book," Chang told Hooplaha. "One woman wrote, 'Before I die I want to be in a healthy relationship for the sake of my daughter.' She told me she left the man who hurt her and has never looked back. She inspires me to find the bravery to face some of my own struggles."

"The project continues to grow thanks to passionate people around the world. During the last month, walls were built in over 10 countries, including Venezuela, Slovakia, South Korea, Russia, and Armenia," she said. "They’re a constant source of inspiration and therapy for me. I've learned I’m not the only one who feels like they're barely keeping it together. Everyone's responses help stir my mind as I contemplate my life and what really nourishes me."

More chalkboard walls are in the works.

This April, Athens will receive Greece's first "Before I Die" wall. And several walls are set to be created in Paris as part of a campaign against drinking and driving.

"Some walls reflect the current politics of the region," Chang told the Canadian Press in December. "But for the most part, the walls have shown just how universal our hopes are.

"We want to love and be loved," she said. "We want to see the world. We want to help others. We want to understand who we really are."

What do you want to do before you die?