It took poetry and a community of writers of color to get Jess X. Snow to overcome her stutter. Now, the child of Chinese immigrants -- who writes about the nature of migration -- feels like she is the first person in her family to be able to tell their story without fear of censorship. The artist and poet gives her Brief but Spectacular take.

Legendary writer and producer Norman Lear was responsible for some of America’s most popular and groundbreaking sitcoms, like “All in the Family,” “Maude” and “The Jeffersons.” Lear, 94, gives his Brief but Spectacular take on what it means to live a joyfully stressful life.

Being a shy, gay man from Montana, Bill Bowers says he knew about silence from early on. When he heard there was an art form devoted to being silent, he knew he had found his calling. Bowers offers his Brief but Spectacular take on being a mime and making room for quiet.

Comic books were a lifesaver for illustrator Catia Chien. As an child immigrant to the U.S., growing up inside a dysfunctional family, she struggled to find her voice, but instead connected expression through art. Chien gives her Brief but Spectacular take on creating from the inside out.