Meet Bri Cossavella

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bri Cossavella.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I’ve always followed my curiosity. I had a curiosity for writing, and how one could express their voice through the written word. I walked into journalism school, a bit blindly, I would say, because I didn’t understand journalism at its core. All I knew is that it would help me write better. Through my studies, I learned it wasn’t just about my voice, but the voiceless. It’s about the millions of people in this world, including the Earth and the animals, that are suffering and trying to be heard. This is where my curiosity is today.

Please tell us about your art.
I explore the art of journalistic storytelling for the sake of bringing about awareness, because awareness breeds inspiration, and inspiration breeds purpose. My work is done through writing, photos, and more recently, conversation (a podcast is in its beginning stages).

In traditional journalism, we are taught to remain objective, which certainly has its place, but I am also not afraid to take a stance for basic human, animal and environmental rights. My most recent project took place in Tibet, where I documented how the region has changed after nearly 70 years of Chinese transformation. While both sides of this story are equally important, I will not sit back and say that China’s colonization efforts were not brutal and morally wrong.

I also believe in this concept of “Universal Responsibility.” The reason why we see unequal progress in this world is because we tend to live in isolation and only care for ourselves. While it is important to care for yourself first so that you can then care for others, we cannot forget to do the latter. This concept has opened up my curiosity about international volunteer and advocacy work.

The question I would hope people ask after examining and reading my work is, “How can I add value or contribute to the lives of others?”

Given everything that is going on in the world today, do you think the role of artists has changed? How do local, national or international events and issues affect your art?
Today, I feel like artists are being challenged more than ever to create art that is meaningful. It’s not just about the ‘pretty’ masterpiece anymore. How is our art impacting those who interact with it? Are our creations adding value to other people’s lives? What is the message we are truly trying to convey? What feelings and emotions is our art evoking? These are certainly the questions I ask myself.

For me, humanitarian and environmental issues happening on the local, national and international levels are in direct alignment with my work. I tell the tales of suffering. I am here to provide a voice for anyone who feels like they don’t have one. Additionally, I am seeking ways to do even more than just bring awareness.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
My work lives on my website www.bricossavella.com. There, you will see traditional journalism stories, my blog, photographs and freelance services. The social media platform that I use most often is Instagram (@breezyy_).

For anyone who is willing to support my work, I recently starting selling my film photographs. You can view these at https://society6.com/bricossavella. I also donate proceeds to charitable organizations. All of that information is in the art descriptions.

Thank you all for your support!

Contact Info:

• Website: bricossavella.com
• Instagram: @breezyy_
• Other: society6.com/bricossavella

Image Credit:
Jonnie and Garrett Burk (personal portrait)

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