.149 Ari Shapiro
I first met Ari thousands of miles away from our respective homes, and yet, meeting him gave me the same feeling of comfort and ease that comes with being in a safe space. Within minutes, I was spilling my stories and thoughts to him over a gorgeous night sky and he listened with such an unassuming sense of intent and empathy. Ari makes you feel like you’re the only person in the room. He’s incredibly thoughtful and a true powerhouse when it comes to impactful conversations and allowing vulnerability to exist through asking the right questions.
Over the last few years, Ari has been an honest and supportive sound board for me as I’ve come to him with a handful of project ideas and questions. He’s always willing to share helpful feedback, inquisitive thoughts, and perhaps most importantly, his time. His brilliance is matched by his wonderful sense of humor and he always can get me to laugh with a quick witted remark. Ari is also incredibly compassionate, and it shows in the way that he speaks about those in his life, from his husband and (new!) dogs, to his friends and even artists that he deeply admires. As if that’s not enough, he has a truly beautiful voice and I’m grateful to have witnessed his singing firsthand.
Ari, thank you for being such a caring and kind human being. Thank you for always encouraging me with my projects, specifically to keep going, practicing and working at them. Thank you for introducing me to the star that is Ahmed, and thank you for being such a wonderful connector in general. Thank you for our walk around NYC, our conversations in England, and for chatting with me years ago now for my 25 project. Thank you for hosting Alejandro and me in DC, and thank you for just being such an example of what it means to live a full life. I’m so grateful to have you in mine and I appreciate each and every time you are honest and supportive of me and my ideas. Thank you for constantly inspiring me to work harder, to expand my brain and to listen more. Thank you, Ari, for being you!
-BD