Alive Against All Odds and Creating Art That Inspires Hope | Tori Page
Meet Tori Page—a bold artist and creative director in Nashville, TN. Her work blends performance art, screenwriting, and AI-generated art, all driven by her deep love for humanity and an unshakable sense of hope.
In this interview, she opens up about her artistic journey, creative process, and the deep-rooted humanitarian themes that inspire her work. From her background in science to her current exploration of performance art, screenwriting, and AI generative art, Tori shares how her unique perspective on life—shaped by living with Cystic Fibrosis—has fueled her passion for creating meaningful, transformative art.
She reflects on the power of vulnerability, emotional expression, and the importance of accepting one’s authentic self. Through her projects, Tori hopes to inspire others to connect with their truths and approach life with courage, optimism, and resilience.
Tori Page is a bold, visionary artist and creative director based in Nashville, TN, whose work flows through performance art, screenwriting, and AI generative art. Driven by optimism, idealism, and an unrelenting hope for humanity, her work is a deeply personal invitation for audiences to reconnect with their truths and discover a more profound sense of self. At its highest ideal, Tori Page’s work opens pathways to radical contemplation, encouraging viewers to tap into their emotional reservoirs and awaken to their unique perspectives. Her experimental approach channels the full spectrum of human emotion, pushing boundaries to create experiences that provoke and inspire viewers to feel more alive and courageous in embracing their unique selves.
Her practice is rooted in sustainability, creating environments where the audience and artistic collaborators thrive, feeling uplifted and transformed by the process. Tori’s artistic ambition merges documentary, fiction, animation, and avant-garde filmmaking, challenging conventional genres while nurturing emotional authenticity. Her art tips the scales into the watery domain of human emotion while often skirting the line of intentional ambiguity—offering only a sliver of understanding and leaving room for the audience to extract subtle, ambient emotions from the experience. Continuously shedding layers of herself, she is exuberant in pushing artistic boundaries into bold, provocative territory, always with sustainability as a foundational principle. This is true inspiration: in the face of confrontation or resistance, you still go for it if it’s your soul’s calling for.
This ethos is the heartbeat of Tori’s creative journey, continually challenging her to infuse her work with fearless authenticity and inviting others to do the same. Currently, she is working on a project tracing the beauty of aging with grace and ease—using photography to empower women by highlighting the stories their bodies tell. She also crafts a profoundly personal tale documenting her journey of climbing a mountain—each step symbolizing the weight and hope she carries for humanity. Through this climb, she hopes to inspire others to face their mountains with resilience and optimism. She envisions weaving this journey into a future feature-length film that reflects her mission to leave a lasting legacy of beauty, connection, and hope.
1. Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?
I originally went to Boston University to study biology and human physiology and pursue an MD and PhD in research pathology. But along the way, I realized I didn’t want to spend what could be the last years of my school life. I was born with Cystic Fibrosis, and when I was young, the life expectancy for someone with my condition was just 30 years. I didn’t know how much time I had, and that awareness made me reevaluate everything. Instead of following my planned path, I chose my other passion—film. Science and art might seem like opposites, but I’ve always felt a bridge between them. There’s an art to science and a science to art. Both require curiosity, exploration, and a deep desire to understand the world. My background in science gave me a methodical lens to see patterns and connections, while my love for art allows me to express those insights in creative, transformative ways. Living with Cystic Fibrosis has profoundly shaped my perspective and motivation.
It gave me an early awareness of mortality, much like the clarity people describe after practicing Buddhist death meditations. But instead of letting that weigh me down, I strive to use it as fuel. That awareness has pushed me to run through life—observing, learning, and growing as quickly and thoroughly as possible. What’s risen above everything else within me, like the tallest skyscraper in a city, is the passion to express what I’ve learned, observed, and experienced through writing and art. At the heart of all my creative work is a humanitarian vision, and film is the medium through which that vision takes shape. Writing scripts and making films is where my heart lies—it’s the foundation of my artistic expression. I see my art like a tree: humanitarianism is the root, my films are the trunk, and everything I create—performance art, AI generative work, or visual storytelling—branches from that core.
At the heart of my practice lies a devotion to sustainability—not only for the planet but for the soul.
Tori Page
2. What inspired you to become an artist?
I’ve been fascinated with film since I was a child—doubleheaders at the cinema, getting lost in stories, and seeing parts of myself reflected in the characters on screen. It felt liberating and healing as if I could process life through the narratives unfolding before me. But despite this lifelong connection, I never considered myself an artist until I was 31. Even now, it still doesn’t feel fully cemented in my identity. Still, one of my core beliefs is that we’re all artists. Artistry isn’t limited to a canvas or a stage—it’s embedded in how we move through the world.
How someone brushes their hair can be just as artful as a brushstroke on a canvas. Every act, every presence, is like a living poem written on the page of reality. What truly drives me is the desire to give back to the world everything I’ve learned from living. I used to keep a blank journal by my doorway, inviting visitors to answer a straightforward question: “What is one message you have to leave behind for your fellow human tribe?” That question has stayed with me. In many ways, that’s how I see my films—they’re my way of sharing what I’ve observed, felt, and experienced throughout my life and the lives of others.
All the films I’m writing revolve around a central question: What must I convey before I leave this earth? If my work can offer even a tiny sense of ease in a world often marked by disease and the weight of life’s burdens, that would be my greatest hope. Underneath it all, my unrelenting love and hope for humanity inspired me to become an artist. Art is my way of honoring that hope and leaving something meaningful behind. If even one person finds a message, insight, or moment of wisdom that helps them grow, heal, or navigate the waters of life with more ease, that will light me up.
3. What is your creative process like from start to finish?
My process is influenced by 5 Rhythms Dance. I’m drawn to spaces where true expression and surrender lead to flow states. Whether I’m dancing, writing, or performing, I drop into the present moment—meditate, breathe, and go for it. I often feel nervous before starting, especially with performance art, but I’ve learned that anything in art that makes me think I have the courage to do it is worth it. The rush of emotion, the release, and the following good-feeling chemicals are all part of the transformation. I end each practice in gratitude for being a vessel of creativity, honoring both the process and what flows through me.
I simplify my process into four steps: DROP IN / MEDITATE / DIVE DEEP / GRATITUDE.
I use this practice in all my work. I rely on instantaneous improvisation for my performance art, performing each piece in a single 60-second take. With screenwriting, I incorporate a special ritual: I let go of any preconceived notions about where the story was heading the last time I wrote. I bring myself into the present moment, allowing the narrative to unfold from that fresh perspective. I often write while visualizing scenes with music, letting music guide the flow. My work is also influenced by neuroaesthetics—the study of how art impacts the brain and emotions. While I’m still exploring its depths, I’m fascinated by how certain forms, colors, and movements can evoke visceral responses, bypassing logic and speaking directly to the nervous system. Through my art, I aim to create not just a visual experience but a felt one—where the audience isn’t just observing but physically and emotionally responding to the work on a deeper level.
4. Can you tell us about a particular piece of art that holds special meaning for you?
Auguste Rodin’s sculpture “The Kiss” is in my heart. I remember being fascinated—how could a sculpture, an inanimate object, evoke and convey something as profound as love? For me, it felt like pure love—even if love is obscured by conflict, isn’t it always pure? It captured the essence of the connection between two people. The love emanating from that sculpture felt as tangible—if not more tangible—than anything I’d ever witnessed between two human beings. It was the first time I felt art could expand my understanding of human emotion.
Even though the story behind “The Kiss” is rooted in forbidden love, what I felt transcended the narrative. It was as if the marble itself were alive, breathing a timeless essence of connection into the space around it. That experience stayed with me and continues to influence my work. In fact, “The Kiss” is an underlying inspiration for a script I’m working on. The emotional depth and silent storytelling in that sculpture mirror the kind of connection I hope to evoke through my films.
I believe art has the power to shift perspectives, to inspire courage, and to bridge the distance between self and collective.
Tori Page
5. What do you hope people take away from experiencing your art?
I hope my art inspires people to embrace their authentic selves and express creativity as a form of healing. Whether through performance, film, or visual storytelling, my work invites people to be themselves, to express, heal, and recognize the transformative power of vulnerability. I want people to feel empowered to dance their dreams awake—to champion each other and bring the dreams of our hearts to life. These are not dreams of the ego but more profound, more soulful aspirations that connect us to something greater. At its core, my art is rooted in a humanitarian vision. I can’t help but root for humanity—holding hope that we can evolve, heal, and expand love on this Earth. I believe each of us is an opportunity in the universe, and I want my work to reflect that. I see my art like a tree: humanitarianism is the root, my films are the trunk, and each creative project—whether performance art or visual installations—branches from that core.
I explore intense emotions as transformative forces in some of my performance art, like my recent anger and pain series. Through visceral, physical expression, I examine how personal and collective trauma can be turned into universal experiences of suffering and resilience. My body becomes both the medium and the message, inviting viewers to see intense emotions as pathways to healing and self-discovery. On the other end of the emotional spectrum, projects like Dance Your Dreams Awake focus on empowerment and manifestation.
Through movement and visual art, I explore how dreams take form and come alive, reminding people that creativity isn’t just a tool for processing pain and bringing joy and possibility into the world. Whether I’m exploring human suffering or celebrating dreams, my art invites people into a shared experience of vulnerability and transformation. I hope people walk away from my work feeling uplifted, empowered, and reminded that they are part of something larger—because just as breath is essential to life, so is our connection to each other.
Tori Page’s art reminds us to trust our creativity, open up to new experiences, and connect with others on a deeper level. Whether through film, performance, or visual storytelling, her work is a heartfelt invitation to feel, reflect, and see the world in a new way. To learn more about Tori, click here.
