Advice From America

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 result is a series of 1,000 black-and-white portraits of people across America, each of whom shared a personal learning. Viewers experience an inevitable pattern of universal keys to living a well-lived life. 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.

I made just one photo of each stranger.

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"Advice from America"

All 1,000 photos of the strangers that Imran Nuri met across America during his 84-day journey to the lower 48 states in 2022.

Stranger #549 (Don Caskey), Colorado Springs, CO

This is Don Caskey, a man who was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2019 and chose to use his remaining time on Earth making as many human connections as possible. He set out to do this by asking complete strangers to get matching tattoos with him. I got my very first tattoo with Don when I met him on my journey in Colorado Springs, and I was the 435th stranger to do so. When I asked him what he wished he knew earlier, he said,

"I wish throughout my life I wouldn’t have worked as many hours because I missed out on a lot of things. When I got sick, I lost everything, but having nothing gave more than I’ve ever had in my life. I’m homeless and I have no car, but I never sleep in the street, I never go without food, and I always have a couple bucks for a beer every day. Having less is more. The biggest thing in the world you can have is human connection. Without somebody else to live with, nobody would want to be here."

Don passed away on February 6, 2023.

Stranger #320, Wilmington, NC

"I worked my ass off my whole life. I had this big dream that I would live my life once I retired. I’d do art, redo a little house, and raise horses. But then I got sick. I got handicapped, and that dream ended. I would tell the younger me to have more fun, to enjoy life, and to make a family. It’s so corny, but family is everything. By the way, don’t you want to know why I have the flowers? I was 5’ 11” before I was handicapped, and I was the cheerleader type. When I walked in the room, I made everyone feel special. When I finally got my electric wheelchair, I went to a strip mall just because I was so stoked to be able to go out on my own. I passed by a mom and her two kids, and as she walked past me, she put her hands over their eyes, and she looked away. I couldn’t believe that by my mere existence, I was making people uncomfortable. Later on as I was crossing a street in my electric wheelchair, a man in his truck didn’t see me and yelled out his window, “You asshole! Get a flag! You’re gonna get hit!” Well, that was just too much to get called that. It just so happened there was a Michael’s nearby, and they were selling big flowers with long stems. So I thought, I’ll get one of those and I’ll keep adding more until I get people to look at me and smile. This is how many flowers it took to get people to look at me and smile."

Stranger #31, Buffalo, NY

"I wish I would've known what these damn cigarettes could've done to me when I started smoking at 12. I got started just by growing up in the streets, hanging out with the big guys, and wanting to fit in. I started smoking weed and drinking and all that led to this damn oxygen tank. I've got medical problems going on right now so I'm taking care of it. I've slowed down, but it's hard. I've quit drinking and smoking weed, but these cigarettes have a grip like mad. 40 something years ago, I would've never started smoking."

Stranger #330, Myrtle Beach, SC

"I would go back and tell myself, “you’re not afraid of water” so that I would end up learning how to swim, because look at me now— I’m sitting here looking at the ocean, and I can’t even experience it fully."

Stranger #28, Buffalo, NY

"It's not what people say, it's how you respond. A lot of times, we are reactionary. Sometimes we react the wrong way and wish that we could take it back."

Stranger #497, Oklahoma City, OK

"Don't compromise on the things you don't want to compromise on. Stick with your gut. Stick with what you know and believe in. Don't settle for less."

Stranger #37, Bennington, VT

"50 years ago, I classified myself as agnostic, and for all intents and purposes, I was an atheist. I met a cute young lady and invited her out, but she told me that the rule in her household is that whoever she or her sister dated had to go to church with her family. She was cute, so I went to church with her. It was the first time in my life that I had ever heard the gospel. It was the first time in my life that I heard that God loved me and that his son Jesus had died in my place so that I could be forgiven. I didn't immediately accept it, but I kept going to church for a few weeks. One night while I was in church, the pastor asked if anybody would like to be forgiven and have a new life and a new start. At the time, I was a homeless Navy veteran, but I was foolishly addicted to gambling. I surprised myself by raising my hand, and the pastor came over. He asked if I would like to accept Christ and I said, "No, I don't think so." He said, "Well, why'd you raise your hand?" I said, "I don't know! Just a feeling." The pastor said, "Well, could you pray like this? 'Lord Jesus I'm not sure if you're there, but if you are, come into my heart and forgive my sins.'" I said, "Yeah, I guess I could do that." The moment I prayed that prayer, there was this explosion of light in my head that I knew wasn't just my imagination; it was very real. It was the first time I ever talked to the Lord and he responded. The result of that was a lot of joy, peace, and a hunger to know more about God. And things worked out alright with that young lady— I married her just a year later. It's not really about religion or going to church. It's about having a relationship with God who made you, loves you, and wants to guide you. 50-something years ago, I could have saved myself quite a lot of trouble by accepting him sooner."

Stranger #288, Alexandria, VA

"Stop hating each other because you disagree. I’ve done that a lot when I was younger. I disagreed with somebody and I cut them off. Nobody’s perfect. We all have some 'isms,' my man. If we ain’t perfect, how come we can’t talk to one another? If my half of the ship goes down, yours doesn’t stay afloat— we’re all doomed. There are so many people out there fighting and trying to destroy the other half of the ship."

Stranger #410, New Orleans, LA

"Societal constraints and belief systems are all based on colonization which is all made up. Everything can be recreated."

Stranger #428, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

"Don't get pregnant."

Stranger #76, Manchester, NH

"Just do what you want to do. Don't do things just because other people tell you to. There have been a lot of times when I didn't do what I wanted to and that was the right thing to do. But also I look back on times when I listened to other people and then I think, "Man, imagine if I had just done what I wanted to do." Also you should never play down to the competition. If you're nasty at what you're doing, be nasty. Don't play down to their level."

Stranger #69, Concord, NH

"I was really hotheaded and I made rash decisions. I had to learn the hard way how to be patient. Now, at 65, I ponder what I'm going to do before making a decision."

Stranger #174, Seaside Heights, NJ

"Never go to bed angry at someone. My father passed away in his sleep a while back while we were in the middle of an argument. Obviously, I still get into arguments with people, as does everybody, but I will never go to sleep mad at anybody and I’ll try my damn hardest to not let anybody go to sleep while they’re upset with me."

Stranger #513, Amarillo, TX

"I wish I would’ve known to go to college earlier than I did. I started going to college when I was 32 to study business management, but I wasn’t able to finish my degree until I was 55."

Stranger #465, Hot Springs, AR

"I wish I would have known how important your health is. I went through the windshield of a car in a car crash in October of ‘89 and spent 15 days in a coma. I woke up the village idiot. If I would’ve paid a little bit better attention to my health, that may not have happened. It took years and years to grow back from the cerebral cortex injury. All my friends said, “You’ve changed!” but I’m happy right now with where I’m at."

Stranger #508, Oklahoma City, OK

"When you know you have control over a situation, there's no need to stress about it. When you know you don't have control over a situation, still, there's no need to stress about it."

Stranger #447, Nashville, TN

"You don’t really have control, so just let it go and let it be."

Stranger #491, Purcell, OK

"Take your time in finding a life partner. Don't let the sex cloud your judgment about a person, and don't rush into marriage. They should be your best friend over everything else."

Stranger #365, Yulee, FL

"Just keep riding. I’ve been riding since I was 18, and now I’m 70 years old. It gives me peace of mind when I’m on the road. I have to stay focused and it gives me a sense of clarity. Nothing else matters when I’m on the road."

Stranger #390, Gulfport, MS

"Had I known then what I know now, I wouldn’t have rushed into things. I would’ve taken my time, been patient, and done my research instead of just jumping headfirst into things without knowing anything. Whatever you do, don’t do it too quick. Be patient."

Stranger #375, Little Talbot Island, FL

"I never tried swimming when I was younger. Moving to Florida is when I realized how fun it is. I started learning in the last two months, and I should have done it long back. Learning swimming at 33 is a little tough, but it’s never too late. I remember going to Mexico and watching people diving into the water. That’s when I also realized there are so many places in the world to explore when you know how to swim."

Stranger #352, Savannah, GA

"Be more patient with friends. When you’re younger, you’re more impatient. When you get older, you think a little more and understand a little more before making a decision."

Stranger #378, Little Talbot Island, FL

"Something I figured out for myself that I wish I knew earlier was how to set boundaries. I feel like a lot of people lose self-respect when they don’t create those boundaries with others. Having children and going through real life situations created a space for me to dig deeper and to understand that the reason I’ve gone through some of those things is because I didn’t set boundaries."

Stranger #343, Charleston, SC

"Something I learned the hard way is don’t do drugs. I wish I could go back and tell myself, “don’t do ‘em.” I could have been a D1 athlete in two or three sports. People said it wasn’t a gateway drug, but sure as hell it was. I look back and I want to say I regret it, but I had to go through that to become who I am now. I put my life back together one step at a time. I’ll tell anybody anything if it helps someone, and I just hope this reaches someone to help them out."