James Anshutz was breezing along in his own world of art and commercial photography when, in 2007, a photo project changed the direction of his life.

"It started with a First Friday gallery show for the month of October. I was asked if I could do something for Breast Cancer Awareness Month," he said. "At the time, I was working on abstract photo composites, so at first I didn’t know what to do. Was I supposed to turn my artwork pink?"

But in talking to the survivors of breast cancer, "I realized how much they needed an escape, something to take them out of the world of surgery and chemotherapy."

What they wanted was to feel beautiful again, so, enlisting the help of wardrobe stylist and makeup artist friends, he came up with a series of "Portraits of Survival" to reveal the beauty and power of breast cancer survivors.

The photos became the basis for his 2009 book, "The Survivor Spirit: The Beauty, Passion & Power of Breast Cancer Survivors," which featured 20 women and their inspirational stories.

Now he wants to do the same for children battling life-threatening medical conditions. But this time the goals are higher. Through his Lemuria Project, he wants the children to put their imaginations to work in creating their own fantasy worlds and directing their own stories through a combination of live-action and animated films.

The project will have its official launch this week on First Friday in the Chinatown Artist Lofts, with a free photo exhibition, screening of two of the resulting 3-minute films and display of costumes and props.

Anshutz’s work with children began when, after working with breast cancer survivors, he was invited to create portraits of dying children with their families.

"I would go in, literally, three days before the child passed on, and that photo was a gift for the families, but I said, omigosh, there has to be something else I could do to help before that point," he said.

"I had always done volunteer work on the side, but it kept getting heavier and heavier and I thought, Why am I taking pictures to sell more stuff when I could be doing so much more through my art?"

His mission became clearer when he was talking
to a little girl in a hospital and she told him, "I don’t imagine anything. I’m just thinking about hospitals and medical equipment."

"It saddened me to see how far away they get from the world of imagination and playing with friends."

Soon afterward Anshutz met Kendis Teho, then director of the Hawaii Children’s Cancer Foundation, whose daughter, Kaela, became the first to star in her own 3-minute Lemuria Project film.

"I thought it had the potential to help children beat their diagnosis by keeping them engaged in something creative and positive," Anshutz said. "I keep them busy by giving them plenty of homework, whether it’s researching their favorite movies or Googling ideas for costumes."

Fellow creative people in the fashion design, film and beauty industries have contributed time and talent to make the children’s vision come to life.

So far, it’s been a labor of love as Anshutz balances his philanthropic work with bread-and-butter commercial photography and animation work, but he is dreaming big.

"I would like this to one day be like a Make-a-Wish program that grants children’s wishes but focuses on healing through creative expression."

He recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund another round of videos, with the aim of expanding the search for his next stars outside of Hawaii. He is now casting for creative, outspoken children, ages 7 to 13, from Hawaii and the mainland who are facing a life-threatening medical condition. Submissions are being accepted through www.LemuriaProject.com.