We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Audrey Forrester. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Audrey below.
Audrey, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
My confidence and self esteem has been something that has always kept me afloat. I was always the weird energized kid with no awareness of anyone else’s opinions. I remember being so annoyed at my friends for getting hurt over someones words. When I reached highschool was when I lost that fearlessness. I was still crazy audrey, or the peanutwizard everyone saw and loved, but I now carried anxious and insecure thoughts. I realized that it wasnt confidence that i had when I was younger but the willingness to be unapologetically myself and free from overthinking. As soon as I was enlightened by that I made it a point to not let other words or assumptions about me affect my state of being. I am a beautiful human, who makes mistakes and isnt always perfectly content, but I’d like to applaud the effort I have for myself regardless of others opinions of me. I believe that a lot of peoples selfesteem and confidence comes from others, especially with the social media world and the internet being a fishing hole for validation. Im not entirely perfect so yes its nice when I get a comment that says “youre stunning” or my creative direction projects or shoots get many more likes and views. However, I will say that knowing that my shoots and my beautiful team i get to call my project family are the only validation I need to make my confience that more secure.
Im 23 years old, not much life I have lived but Id like to think that I understand myself enough to maintain a sense of peace and awareness that I am doing my best with what I have and I have so much more to learn. I cant stress myself with whats to come or what I did in the past only that my continual growth and existence is what matters. That is something nobody can take from me or judge, so how did I develop my confidence you may ask.
thats a secret i’ll never tell
xoxo gossip girl…hahah just kidding.
In all seriousness, my confidence is something that comes from me, and it varies person to person. For me it is the knowing that I am the creator of my own thoughts, I am also the only one who can release bad ones that keep me stuck in a low selfesteem. Im not confident all the time, but I do activities I love such as photography, modeling, anything in the film world and surround myself with gorgeous human beings who make me comfortable to allow myself to be free of all negativity. I am confident because I choose to be and make an effort to maintain that sense of being. I love myself and although my mom and dad created me, it is now my turn to create how I want to be. I want to be a confident person, I want to believe in myself and my art no matter what. I am Audrey and I am peanutwizard :)🦋🐲
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Hellllooo hellloooooooo! 🙂 Im Audrey Forrester but everyone calls me peanutwizard around these parts. Im a 23 year old gal born in San Jose California! I moved here a year and a half ago and have been doing a number of things in the la area. The main avenues I am focused on right now are my creative direction projects, photography, modeling, acting on film and dance 🕺🏻
Let me point out that the first three listed are not what i thought i would be doing or even capable of pursuing, but Im so grateful for the determination and stubbornness that I have to unlock these skills. Before I moved to the LA area, I was studying to get my BFA in musical theater, which I was not going to pursue after college, but I was going to use what I learned to fulfill the dream of working in the film and television world. Although I am still acting on film and dancing my little booty off whenever I can, I found love for photography and modeling. As someone who is 5’5 you’d think modeling was not in the cards for me. Not for one second did I think that it was impossible because to me it’s not about the height of the model it’s about the story that the model is conveying on a photo with their body short or tall. Yes, some parts of the industry still think it’s impossible because I have been rejected from a number of agencies due to my height, but I did not let that stop me. I made some wonderful friends in the hair, makeup, and photography world that allowed me to conduct creative projects to which I have the privilege of modeling in!
My goal is to get hired by brands and or agencies to make highly conceptualized works of art that help boost their image and/or brand with my wonderful team ( you know who you are 😉
I would not be the creator I am without your help and belief in me and my ideas).
Aside from photography, the film and television world has always been something that peaked my interest. I come from a musical theater household so for years I thought that would be the avenue I was destined to be in, but overtime I realize that I loved being on set. Give me any job and I will do it with a smile on my face, because just being on set with a bunch of creative individuals is what drives me no matter the job I’m labeled. I found out that the film world was something I wanted to be in because I woke up for a set at 2:30 AM, no complaints, which if you know me, you know I’m not a morning person. I was happily content to get in my little Honda CRV and drive my human garbanzo bean body all the way an hour and a half from my house. Last but not least dance!
i’ve always had a love hate relationship with dance, but as I got older, I realized that it’s not a competition. Dance is something that should be a freeing experience and this year I made it a point to go to more dance classes. I’m happy to say now I get to perform with a bunch of magnificent dancers at world of dance this year!
Let’s just say that I am a funky little human from the Bay Area coming to live from LA making art with a bunch of clowns who I get to call my friends and dance around with beautiful gazelle, I get to call my friends and work with a bunch of film junkies, who I get to call my friends.
La is where my second family is; the bay will forever be home :)❤️🔥
To more creations to come, thank you for reading the short background works of peanutwizard
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Im going to point out right now that I am relatively new to my journey in La but i think the adventure starts at a very young age. I think from a younger audrey till now, the three qualities/skills, whatever youd like to call it, that pointed out ot me were patience, kindness, and perseverance. All wonderful qualities that can be thought of not only towards other people but knowledge that can be held for yourself and wellbeing.
I kept relying on other people for my work and how i felt as a creative and that just stunted everything. Only a few months ago did I realize I am my creator in this world. I can make or break my creations. I didnt have patience, I wasnt kind to myself, and it felt impossible to persevere without any guidance or help, but sometimes the only person who can guide you is you.
If there is any advice I could give someone who is starting there journey or just stuck. creatively or not. Its to be kind to yourself. We arent always going to have consistent work, consistent happiness, or even constant creative ideas brewing up in our mind, but we do have the ability to be kind to ourselves and be patient with the knowledge that we will be ok. Our purpose in life is to live and be happy, but thats impossible with overwhelming doubt and negativity, we must overcome and persevere, so be kind to yourself 🙂
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
The most impactful thing my parents did for me growing up was allowing me to be myself and make my own choices big or small from a very young age. I definitely grew up with parents that engraved the sense of self and my adventure to figure out what i wanted to do. I have very hardworking parents and with 4 children they did an amazing job giving each of us the opportunity of choice which i think is an amazing thing to give children.
I could choose the sports i did, what i believed in, since i could remember i was even dressing myself in whatever i wanted. I became a healthy independent individual very early on, and for that im forever grateful. It definitely expedited my adulthood but still allowed me to be a kid all the same because what my parents taught me is that with responsibility there is a sense of maintaining adolescence and the spirit of youth!
Contact Info:
- Website: audreyforrester.co
- Instagram: @peanutwizard
- Linkedin: Audrey Forrester
- Youtube: Audrey Forrester (@peanutwizard)
- Other: tiktok: @peanutwizardd
Image Credits
photos: Josco @byjosco Holly Olmos @hollymarieolmos styling and costume design: Savannah Assi @pirategirl.couture Humza Syed @styledbydeys Audrey Forrester @peanutwizard makeup by: Dana Melisa @danamelisa.beauty hair by: Finn E Frock @thepunkstylist
