Be A Square; Photograph In Public!

By KPCC Staff,

NPR Staff

Published August 9, 2013 at 1:24 PM EDT

<em>Clockwise from top left: </em>Jonny, Mickey Mouse balloon vendor at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. (Sheldon Serkin/@shelserkin); Ting, clerk at Dong Xing Chinese and Japanese Takeaway; Marlene Lucien, Port-au-Prince, Haiti (John Poole/NPR/@johnwpoole); Hussain, newsstand kiosk vendor, Melbourne, Australia (Michael Baranovic/@mishobaranovic) — *Clockwise from top left:* Jonny, Mickey Mouse balloon vendor at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. (Sheldon Serkin/@shelserkin); Ting, clerk at Dong Xing Chinese and Japanese Takeaway; Marlene Lucien, Port-au-Prince, Haiti (John Poole/NPR/@johnwpoole); Hussain, newsstand kiosk vendor, Melbourne, Australia (Michael Baranovic/@mishobaranovic)

We love what we see on Instagram, and we think there's potential for something deeper. Something more communal. So today we're starting something new with our friends at KPCC in Los Angeles: A collective storytelling project called Public Square. Follow us! @npr + @kpcc

Each month will have a theme and hashtag. We'll ask you to share a glimpse of your life — but beyond that, to tell us stories.

First Assignment: Hard Work (#PSHardWork)

It's a dirty job, but, as they say, someone's gotta do it. Strike up a conversation with the person at the dry cleaner, the airline steward, the cab driver, the person who edits your writing — or fixes your company computers.

Take their portrait, get all the info — name, age, story — put it all in the caption, and tag it #PSHardWork

How Public Square Differs:

We're public media, and storytelling is in our DNA. For this project, we want more than just a pretty photo. Your words are equally important.

Ground Rules:

Please tag only one photo with #PSHardWork on Instagram between now and Monday, Aug. 19.

Any image tagged before that date is eligible to be featured on Instagram, KPCC's AudioVision and NPR's Picture Show.

Make connections, share your stories, and have fun.