WHY / The Question
For nearly 15 years, I’ve street-interviewed thousands of strangers from all walks of life, capturing their feelings, portraits, and videos. I’ve spoken, written, podcasted, and created outreach—always willing to be vulnerable about how this experience has affected me and the lessons I’ve learned from the remarkable individuals I now call “Strangers-Now-Friends.”
But as I reflect on their faces and the vulnerabilities we’ve touched—I realize there’s one complex question I’ve yet to fully ask: Simply, why?
Why are people the way they are—why do they see the world through the lens they’ve been given? And why do some feel compelled to express their why, while others keep it guarded and unspoken?
So, as you step into the RadstoneBLOG community and explore the perspectives presented, stories offered, or choose to contribute to a Reach Out—I invite you to reflect on your own why. And as you do, I’ll keep uncovering and revealing the whys of others—and maybe even my own.
With warmth and gratitude,
Richard
WHY / The Roots
The roots of RadstoneBLOG were planted in September 2011, when I began publishing a series of daily essays, portraits, and videos from my street interviews with absolute strangers. For 500 consecutive days—no matter what was happening in the world, how I felt, or where I was—I documented the hope, pain, joy, and perspectives of thousands of diverse individuals. I called it “365 Strangers in 365 Days.”
On its 90th day, WordPress featured the project as one of the top ten daily blogs to follow, and overnight, it grew from tens to thousands of daily visitors. From that moment, a far-reaching call to action took shape—a movement born as people from around the globe saw the faces of unique strangers, listened to their words, and responded to the storyline and challenges I extended to all.
A set of unifying perspectives evolved that, to this day, form the heart of RadstoneBLOG:
- Compassion and empathy are more powerful than the fist.
- We are all carrying unspoken burdens and hopes.
- There is much to learn if we’re willing to look past our biases.
- We all have an equal stake in bettering this world we share.
Proof that beneath the surface of our differences, we are far more connected, vulnerable, and alike than we realize—a finding that continues to drive the purpose of RadstoneBLOG to this day.
