I Am Los Angeles is a video portrait series created and directed by Joris Debeij. This interview originally aired July 19, 2012.

“There’s something a true artist of any discipline knows better than everyone else in Los Angeles. It’s the fact that opening up your heart and expressing yourself to the world without reservation sounds simple but can be one of the most difficult things a person will ever do. Balancing this act with the natural inclination to seek acceptance and approval from others is an extremely delicate thing.”

Eliot Rausch was an emotional kid growing up in the South Bay area, and he could tell that not many others were like him. He didn’t feel like he fit in, but he did grow up in a loving and supportive family. Once he was a teenager Eliot found himself on a very dark path involving heavy substance abuse, which continued for some time. Some people never make it out of this mode, but Eliot would have an experience that would change everything for him.

“The true self, who I really was, I didn’t want to embrace. Because that person was really emotional, that person felt too much in life, was too sensitive, was too delicate. So I think my objective was to escape that.”

One night when Eliot was out riding in a car with a friend, there was a terrible accident and the car crashed. Both Eliot and his friend walked away. It was a miracle, and a sign too strong to be ignored. Eliot had to face himself, and consider whether he would keep walking this path or make a drastic change in his life. Eliot chose courage, and embraced the love from his friends and family. With time he learned to accept himself and his vision as an artist. He resumed work on his craft of filmmaking and today enjoys considerable success on account of his talent and vision.

We highly recommend taking a look at his work.

Full Credits.
Coverage Image: Eric Koretz