The challenges of the past two years have changed the way we live, the way we work, and the way we show up for each other. They have also given us a rare chance to collectively reimagine our future. Through the Reimagine Seattle Storytelling Project we invite community members to reflect on their current experiences in Seattle, how they have been impacted by recent events, and their hopes for the future of our city.
Words and photos by Nam Nice
I would be lying if I said I had a great year. I don’t think most people are having the best year, with everything going on. This year has made me more aware of my surroundings and those in my life; how vulnerable we all can be and how much we are actually struggling. At the same time, it’s helped me become more aware of myself, my insecurities. I’ve become more creative outside of photography and that has pushed me to pursue other dreams.
My community is actually stronger than ever as we are all in survival mode. I see us continually looking out for each other and supporting each other in any way we can. I’m fortunate to have a large circle of incredibly good people.
I hope to see this city come out better than we were before this pandemic. It was good, but I don’t think it was great. Gentrification, displacement, wealth and cookie-cutter replaced originality, pride, passion, unity, creativity, culture and diversity.
If I could completely reimagine our city, it would look a lot more racially and ethnically diverse, even more than it was before. A city more balanced in creativity and small business and less monopolized by large tech companies. A city where our citizens don’t fear their police, a city where our police don’t fear the people. I want to see effective and humane resources/methods to help resolve homelessness and drug addiction. I want to see black and brown neighborhoods return and thrive with business and art.
