For ten years, Love Wisconsin has been capturing the heart and soul of our state, one story at a time. We are celebrating this milestone anniversary by re-sharing ten of our most popular stories and adding a “Where Are They Now” component to each of the stories.
Love Wisconsin is a project started by citizens of this great state, to simply (but profoundly) connect to other citizens of this state.
LOVE WISCONSIN’S ORIGIN STORY
Co-founder megan monday shares why she and jet waller created love wisconsin back in 2014.
“We have always believed in the power of stories.”
“We love the way that stories can not only entertain us, but can illuminate our shared humanity. We love the way stories teach us: revealing things we haven’t seen before and translating others’ experiences. We love the way stories can inspire us to find new approaches and make changes in our lives and in the world.”
“Before launching Love Wisconsin, Jet and I had already dedicated our careers to stories. We’d each independently made media and taught about it, and by the early 2010’s, we were collaborating on art and advocacy projects together. Early successes supported us in launching a media firm where we developed marketing work for commercial and non-profit clients. By 2013, we’d launched several projects as campaigns on social media platforms. Seeing the engagement there, and feeling the possibilities for connection gave us the idea for Love Wisconsin.” — Megan Monday
ten years ago MEGAN and jet determined that social media was the perfect spot to experiment with love wisconsin.
“From our own experience working on documentaries, we knew firsthand about the transformational power of stories. We know that when someone shares a personal story with you, suddenly you are more connected than you were before. Both people gain in that exchange. The storyteller is heard, which is usually a very validating and valuable act on its own. The listener is entertained, or given the gift of a deeper understanding (or both), and often experiences deeper empathy as a result. Hearing stories helps us reflect on the ways we are similar, or it opens our hearts to appreciate our differences. Sharing brings an opportunity to feel some sense of belonging.” — Megan Monday
THE EARLY LOVE WISCONSIN YEARS
“We interviewed truckers and dairy farmers, fly fisherwomen and tribal council members, artists and loggers, children and grandparents, math virtuosos and poets, dancers and sports fans, educators and entrepreneurs—all of them storytellers. We published their stories online and watched them soar.”
“We launched Love Wisconsin in 2015 to share first-person, real-life stories from across our state on social media. It took a lot of effort from so many to get off the ground. A generous friend (who happens to be an amazing fundraiser) lent her talents early on. Then, a thoughtful data expert pal joined in the effort. Other excellent advisors brought skills from various domains, along with great energy and drive, to our board when we turned the project into a non-profit.
But in those early couple years, it was me, Jet, and our wonderful production assistant/video editor Nelson Nam Su Cho on the road together all across Wisconsin, documenting stories from citizens across our state. In those early days, the stories went far and wide, and our page was in the top 5% of engagement globally in 2017.” — Megan Monday
LOVE WISCONSIN FOUND A HOME WITH WISCONSIN HUMANITIES
It’s been ten years since Love Wisconsin first said “Hello, world.”
In 2018 Love Wisconsin transitioned to be a project of Wisconsin Humanities, a perfect and fitting home. It’s a place where this project can continue to ask big questions like: “Who are we, collectively?” and “What do we mean to each other?”
Wisconsin Humanities believes stories can break down barriers between us, inspire us to get involved, and help us recognize that we’re more alike than we are different.
Wisconsin Humanities is proud to nurture and grow Love Wisconsin for all of us. Every person’s story matters, and we are honored to have this opportunity to meet and share and learn together.
OUR DIGITAL ARCHIVES has grown to include over 150 authentic Wisconsin voices, each one adding to our collective story. This archive isn’t just a collection of stories – it’s a living testament to who we are as Wisconsinites, created by and for the people who call this state home.