Life Advice from 1,000 Strangers

I needed to know the meaning of life according to people like you and me.

After shutting down my nonprofit at the end of 2021, I asked myself how my life would change if I knew I would die in a year. The answer was clear as day: I would drive to all of the lower 48 US states, ask 1,000 strangers for life advice, and photograph them. That, and spending more time with the people I love.

Starting in May of 2022, I lived in my Toyota Camry for 12 weeks straight while driving to all of the lower 48 US states in pursuit of photographing 1,000 strangers after asking them for a piece of life advice. The journey challenged every aspect of who I was. Talking to strangers was way out of my comfort zone, I had never lived in a car before, I quit my job, and I used a combination of my entire savings, Patreon, and a personal loan to fund the cost of it all. Sleeping in rest areas, casino parking lots, Walmarts, and occasionally on friends' couches around the country, I planned my next destination each morning. My days were spontaneous which was perfect for the serendipity I was looking for in meeting strangers.​The end result is a series of 1,000 black-and-white portraits of people across America, each of whom shared a personal learning in their lives. Viewers experience an inevitable pattern of universal keys to living a life well lived.

In a time when divisiveness is more prevalent than ever, this series also seeks to show that despite our races, genders, locations, and more, we have more in common with the strangers around us than we think. The photos were made on a medium format film camera, and the subjects were told to pose however they felt most comfortable. As of April 2023, the photos are still in the process of being completed.

Hear the life advice and see the photos on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube!