THE LIGHT IS COMING
When you really think about it, nothing has really changed with human perception. People will only want to show the good bits, projecting nothing but the best at every interface and connection, reserving the rest for a select few at best. With the onset of social media, it has careened from aspirational to out of control, where acuity has shifted to almost impenetrable heights all in hopes of getting all the likes and double taps their curated posts can get.
There is inherently nothing wrong with this, except of course when some will resort to downright deception. This is the preconceived notion that Richard Juan, who is admittedly a little unnerved when being referred to as an influencer, is insistent on breaking down.
On the day of this shoot, the cover star unassumingly makes his way on set—no big entourage, no crazy loud overcompensations, just his cool, calm, collected self. After the typical pleasantries in the not-so early morning, we begin our work.
It reveals itself why Richard Juan is a name on everyone’s lips and lists. Not only does he work fast and efficiently, he is also pretty much the same entertaining, real, and down-toEarth dreamer of an alien (his words, not ours). Breezing through way ahead of schedule, we got to sit down with the actor, host, and model, shedding more light into his advocacy, and why he intends to strike a convergence between the virtual and the IRL.
A man of his word online as well as offline, Richard Juan should be the rigor for what every young’un wants to aspire to be in this day and age. This way, perhaps we can bring back the real meaning and ideal with the word influence, just as we grew up aspiring to be worthy of the textbook word itself.