While heading home from an audition in Austin, I met up with some friends who were playing SXSW to have dinner and met Alonzo Williams, Jr., a photographer and filmmaker, who is a great friend of theirs. He told me about his blog, 100 Strangers, where he snaps a shot of a stranger he meets, asks them about something in their life and adds it to his blog. The stories from some of these people are amazing, and the pictures are… you just have to see for yourself. My favorite is this one:

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I mean, how great is that?

Since I was a stranger that day, he asked if I’d like to be on the blog. He said, “Hey, look at me.” I turned, phone in hand of course, and snap! I have to say I was a little nervous because I didn’t have time to pose but that’s what makes Alonzo’s work so organic and beautiful.

Below you can read the post about me, originally featured at http://www.awilljr.com/100strangers, where I answered the question, “What are you most optimistic about in your life right now?“

100 Strangers: 4th St, Austin, TX
April 10, 2015
Lauren

“Embarking on a new career path. I thought it was silly, at first, to get back into a field more competitive than the one I’m already in… but then I got a taste of it again. When you get a taste of something that fuels your soul, you can’t let go of it. You have to pursue it.

I had pushed the idea of getting back into acting so far down that I had almost forgotten about it. Almost. Quite a few people might know that I have a passion for public relations and social media, but some of them don’t know just how deep my desire to act is and how long I’ve known it. I was seven when I took my first acting class and I loved it. Two years later, Titanic came out. I went to see it in theaters and watching Kate Winslet inspired me. That was the moment I knew. I spent the next 10 years acting in various plays, but when it came time to go to college, I decided to get a different degree and pursue acting afterward if it was truly my calling.

I’m optimistic because I know the possibilities are endless and I’m happy every moment I’m challenging myself, but the fear is always there, lurking in the back of my mind. I was afraid to post anything about me pursuing my dream again, but I got to the point where I realized that by hiding it, I wasn’t interfering in anyone else’s dreams, just my own. It turns out that a lot of my friends are extremely supportive and sometimes have more confidence in me than I have in myself. I’m grateful for those people. I’m grateful that I can pursue acting while still contributing to the PR field. And most of all, I’m grateful to know that there is a fire in my heart calling me to follow my dreams.”

– Lauren Rose Loxterman