In this digital world overflowing with content, few creators stand out for their sincerity, intention, and heart. Videographer, storyteller, and viral influencer Kara Lewis has earned millions of followers by actually listening to people whose stories often go unheard. Her journey from a homeschooled California kid to a Nashville-based filmmaker impacting lives nationwide is anything but traditional, yet it’s exactly that unconventional path that shaped her into the creator she is today.
Kara’s early years were far removed from phones, screens, and the pressures of digital life. “I grew up in California and I grew up homeschooled my entire life," Lewis says. "I didn't receive a phone until I was 18, so I would say that was pretty sheltered. But I appreciate it truly at this point in my life now.”
Homeschooling actually represented freedom to the soon-to-be 25-year-old. “I didn't mind it," she says. "I actually was given the option to go to school, and I choose not to, just because I loved it. My two older brothers did homeschooling as well, and I loved the path because we could go to Disneyland on a Tuesday afternoon. But it definitely made me have grit, because I had to get up and create my own schedule."
Part of that schedule was dance. "I grew up as a dancer and a competitive gymnast my whole life," Lewis says. "Just being able to be involved with a lot of other things without having to go to school. Like the extracurricular activities, we would still go to football games and proms and dances. So I really had the best of both worlds.”
Her family were all creators, and creativity ran deep among the artists, musicians, and actors as Lewis envisioned a future in that world. “I was going to open up my own dance production company with my two older brothers," she says. "That was the vision and the dream, create something cool for artists and dancers, singers, actors, everything, just production.” But life apparently had different plans. “It just turned out to be not God's plan for my life."
At 18, feeling the pull of independence, Lewis left home. “I rebelled from my parents and I left home, moved to LA and I experienced the whole party lifestyle and that world," she says. "I did that for a couple years. I don't regret it because I needed to. And beat my own drum. I had to learn the hard way.”
The party lifestyle didn't last too long and eventually clarity came, as did the pull back home. “After a few years, I realized that this was not what God was calling me to be, and so I moved back home," Lewis says. "My parents had been praying for me."
Soon after, Lewis met rising country artist Chase Matthew, who offered her a role on his tour. “It was truly taking a leap of faith walking up to his tour bus,” she says. But she jumped at the chance. “I ended up touring with him for over a year-and-a-half. It was just a crazy lifestyle, but that's what brought me out to Nashville.” The two eventually parted ways professionally but kept their friendship strong. “And now I'm out here just really trying to help the community of Nashville and Tennessee, in general.”
Before Lewis ever thought about stories of strangers' lives, she filmed in the entertainment world, including in spaces that didn’t align with who she wanted to become. But her pivot toward heart-centered storytelling came soon after. “I had a friend in Los Angeles and she was like, 'You should go up to strangers and ask to film with them,'" she says. "And I was the second person on social media to do just that.” Shy from her homeschooled upbringing, she resisted at first. But eventually she tried. “I ended up walking up to a group of kids at a skate park. I posted the video, woke up at 2:00 in the morning, and it had 20,000 views.”
That moment changed everything for her. “That was my moment of proving and showing my parents that I worked extremely hard with these videos," says Lewis. "And my heart had completely changed. Rather than filming with actors and models and dancers, I wanted to help people. I wanted to be able to share their story.”
Lewis shifted her entire approach. “Now I say, ‘I'm a storyteller. I want to tell your story. What does your life look like?’”
One story, in particular, left a permanent mark. “Recently, my parents and I were in Nashville and we came across a disabled veteran who was homeless," she says. "He has terminal cancer and the VA really won't help him out much.” Lewis and her parents shared a meal with him. What followed was extraordinary. “Now White Castle has reached out. And we started a GoFundMe and raised $76,000 for him.”
Her content exploded with 4.6 million followers on TikTok and 1.2 on Instagram. She still finds it surreal. Brand deals allow her the financial freedom to give back. And monetized reels keep her work sustainable.
Lewis' next chapter is already underway. “My fiancé, West, is also a filmmaker and our plan is to create a whole documentary on this,” she says. They’re two are currently working on a life-changing project. “We're building a woman a house and we've almost raised her $100,000.” And this is just the beginning. “The five-year plan is to continue doing this on a bigger scale," she says. "Partner with different brands, get them clothing, get them food, shelters, etc.”
Today, Lewis lives in Hendersonville and feels at home in Tennessee. She shares what she most wants people to know: her heart. “I just want people to know my heart," she says. "It really is truly not about the views. It really is getting to see it all firsthand and seeing the transformation.”
Approaching strangers is still difficult for the formerly shy homeschooled girl. “I can't even lie, it's a little uncomfortable for me too, " Lewis says. "And I've had people decline to be interviewed. But at the end of the day, it's their life and their story, and I have to respect that.”
Above all, she hopes people understand what drives her. “I really am in it for the right reasons, and I care about people," she says. "I'm only showing people a glimpse of my life and what it really looks like. But, yeah, I would just say I just want people to know my heart.”
And after hearing her story, it’s impossible not to. Instagram and Tik Tok: @karaxlewis