EP 086: Model Strangers: A Creative Project for Human Connection with Christopher Ward

Model Strangers is one of my favourite accounts to follow on Instagram. The videos are beautiful snippets of human life and interaction, and the community that it has created is so positive and heartwarming. Knowing that this was one person’s project, which seemed like a pursuit of their purpose, I knew that I had to invite Chris to the podcast. I was delighted when he accepted my invitation and I really enjoyed this ‘behind the scenes’ conversation where we talk about how and why Model Strangers got started and learn more about this amazing project which has a rapidly growing following.

Christopher Ward was born in South Africa and now lives in Northern Ireland. He’s a wedding videographer and photographer who decided just last year to try something different. He'd been feeling creatively unfulfilled for a long time and wanted to explore a new project that would showcase humanity. The result is Model Strangers, now with over 700k followers on Instagram.

I hope you enjoy my conversation with Chris and feel inspired by how he has brought purpose into his life in a very creative way.

Here’s what is included in this episode:

• How feeling creatively unfulfilled and wanting to ‘get out of his own head’ led him to a new idea and project.
• Creating a positive online community and the responsibility he feels to the people he features on his account.
• The qualities he’s looking for which indicate they’ll be an interesting person with a story to tell, and how vulnerability and authenticity lead to real connection in his conversations.
• The skills and attributes that he’s recognised in himself since setting up the Model Strangers project.
• “Behind the scenes” and insights into his videos and the people he has met, and how one of his most popular videos with over 10 million views surprised him.

Guest Links:

• @modelstrangers on Instagram
• @modelstrangers on Tiktok
• @modelstrangers on Facebook
• @modelstrangers on YouTube
• www.christopherwardfilms.com

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