Meet the model and photographer behind ‘We’re Not Really Strangers’

Koreen Odiney sees the world a little differently. The 25-year old creator of the online phenomenon, We're Not Really Strangers, is always seeking new ways to foster communication. When she isn’t modeling—Odiney is signed to New York talent agency The Society alongside stars like Kendall Jenner and Adut Akech—she is working on her thriving platform and its corresponding card deck.

You’ve likely seen the red and white cards with leading questions on social media. Millions have shared their reactions to the game’s queries or merch branded with its distinctive red and white motif since it launched in 2018. A card might read “what has been keeping you sane lately” or “how do you describe the feeling of being loved,” prompts designed to get people to open up and share their innermost feelings in a way that doesn’t induce anxiety. For Odiney, the project’s success is all about authenticity, something that has been essential during the current period of social isolation. “Social media has become a place where I create meaningful connections, and I think it’s because I’ve been intentional, shared my real emotions and the things that I care about,” she shared over the phone from Los Angeles.

Photography, Odiney’s first love, was the starting point for 'We're Not Really Strangers', and the first thing she offered to her online audience. As a life-long enthusiast, she started shooting portraits on the streets of L.A. as a teenager, hoping to become a full-time image-maker. Though she was accepted to New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, the college’s exorbitant cost was a hurdle. “I couldn’t afford it so I deferred my enrollment for a year,” she explains. At first, modelling was simply a means of saving up to pay for school. Then Odiney found she enjoyed having a career that allowed her to be self-sufficient. “It empowered me to be productive and create an income for myself,” she says. “That’s what ended up funding 'We're Not Strangers', so I’m truly grateful.”

The game grew out of Odiney’s experiences as a photographer. Tasked with making people feel comfortable having their picture taken on the fly, she understood how good conversation could forge bonds in a short period. “I was doing photography and interviewing people for many years asking them these questions, but I didn’t have a name for it,” she says. “I loved the art form and [knowing] how to ask the right questions to create connections.” Documenting her initial chats on her Instagram, @chickenandwaffles, she began collecting images of the people she was engaging with and captions featuring their replies. Uncertain about how best to proceed with her project, Odiney found inspiration via a chance meeting. “I was asking myself what my call to action was, what my intentions were, and how I want to empower people when there was this serendipitous moment,” she explains. “I was walking to my car from a modeling job, and there was a man sitting reading poetry who I approached to photograph and interview. At the end of our talk, he told me that I would write a book called We're Not Really Strangers one day. This all originated from a stranger and photograph which is insane but goes back to what it’s all about.”

Unexpected conversations and accidental friendships are now part of Odiney’s mission. Each deck features a series of questions meant to draw players closer to one other by asking them to share their thoughts on big and small topics. Odiney and her team now select the phrases based on trial and error, but her first set of topics came together organically. “I started listening to people interacting, and I realised that questions like ‘what do you think my name is’ or ‘what do you think I do for a living’ create these interesting interactions,” she says. “They force people to examine the assumptions they make about each other. We all create stories based on first impressions, but typically we don’t go a step further and scrutinise them.”

Nowhere are the perils of unfounded assumptions more evident than in issues of race and gender. In the wake of the recent protests, Odiney wanted to create a series of cards that could help people open up about difficult issues. “I wanted to find a way to make it easier for people to start having these conversations. [With the cards] instead of feeling bad about asking questions, you’re given a prompt,” she says. “It creates a separation between yourself and what is being said.” To ensure the topics reflected experiences from a multitude of backgrounds, Odiney crowdsourced her questions. “I knew that my understanding of race and privilege was limited, so I started talking to as many people as possible,” she says. “Then, I played with my team several times, building on those initial questions and trying to create something that provides value to people.”

The process opened Odiney’s eyes. “There have been many lessons for me,” she says, recounting the experience of a colleague who revealed they needed support after a microaggression. “I realised that showing up imperfectly was better than not showing up at all, and just reaching out means so much more than being silent. Often, I would chicken out and be too afraid to discuss these things, but knowing that when information makes you uncomfortable, maybe it’s time to embrace that. It forces you to grow.” To that end, Odiney hopes that 'We're Not Really Strangers' can be a useful tool for others wishing to increase their understanding of friends, family, and, most importantly, those whose lives differ from their own. “I’m trying to use my talents, team and resources to empower people with these questions,” she says. “The game is what my camera was for me—a passport to people.”

This article originally appeared on Vogue.com

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