I woke up this morning feeling super blocked and unsure of what to write about. So I went through my old writing to this time last year, and was surprised to discover that exactly 365 days ago, I had the idea to take photos of strangers.

I had no idea people would love this project so much. I wasn’t thinking about that.

Mostly I just wanted to push my photography and creativity to a new edge and see what I discover.

There’s something so exciting about stepping into uncertainty, not for “follows” and external validation, but because you're curious to see what’s on the other side of the unknown.

It’s okay for an artist not to have it figured out or to be fully ready. Sometimes you just need to step into the unknown, one step at a time, and be open to discovering something new.

The following is from my journal exactly 365 days ago:

I bought this domain (www.nostrangers.art) yesterday.

I made the entire website today.

This weekend I am going out for my first set of photos for this project. I am nervous, but also excited.

I normally get a few hours with each person I photograph, but for this project I’ll only have seconds.

I have done this style of photography before and can be fun, except for all the rejection. I am curious to see if things are different now. Maybe people will be more open?

My intentions for NoStrangers:

• I want to take awesome photos of new humans.

• I want to have fun and feel creativity refreshed.

• I want to meet new humans and share their stories through this project.

• I want to grow as a photographer, artist and human.

• I want to emotionally impact as many humans as possible.

As I read this post from last year, I wonder if there is something I can learn about myself and my creativity as I step into the new project I am launching soon.

Big love,

D

PS: If you feel called to, dig into one of your old journals and drop a quote or piece of advice from your younger self in the comments below.

What changes do you want to see in the No Strangers project this year? I want to hear your ideas!

Last year I created a video series where I met strangers on the street and did a 30-second photoshoot with them. In the beginning I didn’t care about views.

Then in the fall, things really took off. I had several viral videos. I connected with over 60 humans and shared their stories with over 10,000,000 people on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

It’s definitely a hit of dopamine watching your work go viral several times over. It felt like a slot machine, and I admit I began to chase that feeling.

And that’s not the point. At least not for me.

While I’m grateful that the project was so well received, as I gear up for Season 2 I want to start fresh. I’d rather do work I find interesting, that feels honest and helps me grow as an artist and human.

I want to experiment, and make mistakes and discover something new from those mistakes.

I’d rather follow my joy rather than chase virality.

So let’s play. Let’s experiment. Let’s follow the deepest joy.

All this to say: what do you think would be fun to do for Season 2?

• Should I ask people a different question?

• Should I use a new style of photography?

• Should I make longer videos or try a different format?

I’m not worried about getting fewer views or “losing” the status I gained with the project. I want to hear your ideas! I know that my community on social media is filled with kind, deep and meaningful humans with lots of creativity.

Let me know what you want to see in Season 2. Feel free to comment below or send me a DM if you’d prefer.

Big love,

D

There was something very special about Malia.

She sparkled.

You can clearly see the sparkle in her eyes in the photos.

You can also hear the sparkle in her voice during her answer at the end of the video.

I can even feel her sparkle now in my heart this morning as I write this post.

We had a really sweet and funny interaction. Most of which is not shown in this video. I had to cut so much fun conversation out because I felt like Malia’s answer at the end of the video needed to be heard.

It starts off simple, “Just be yourself.” But then with everything she adds I realize it’s probably the hardest advice to live up to in real life.

There are so many forces in life that want us to fit into a template—our society, our culture, even our families. It happens right before our eyes, and if we’re not careful, we wake up feeling like we’re living someone else’s life.

It even happened to me. At one point I lived a life that people expected me to live: I worked a high-paying job, lived in a beautiful condo, had a fancy car, and more. But inside I felt like a total phony. And when I drove home from work I couldn’t ignore the pain in my heart and body. I wanted to scream, “Whose life is this?!”

I took a giant risk by letting go of who I was supposed to be to find out who I really was. I started over completely and built my life from the ground up. And that was just the beginning.

Who we are is constantly changing. So in order to be myself I needed to build an ongoing relationship with me. This required deep listening, deep compassion, and the courage to act on it.

This takes courage because it can be terrifying. But not as terrifying as living someone else’s life ever was.

Thank you Malia for taking time out of your day to make art with a stranger. I needed to hear your advice.

Your answer allowed me to reflect on my own journey and the many times I was lost because I was living for others. And it reminded me how committed I have now become to being myself.

Big love,

D

PS: If you want to see the behind the scenes video of me approaching Malia and taking these photos, check out my Instagram or my TikTok.

I spotted her from 100 feet away. Chelsey was radiant. Unmissable. Her smile felt like receiving a hug from someone you love.

It didn’t take much convincing for her to join me for a 30-second photoshoot.

I found her answer at the end of the video interesting.

Because I think we could all use more confidence in our lives.

If you could send confidence to a version of yourself from the past, who would you send it to? Which version of you needs confidence the most? Is it your 5-year-old self, your 25-year-old self, or maybe even you today?

Thank you Chelsey for taking the time out of your day to make art with a stranger. If you’re reading this, know that your smile and warmth gave me a lot of comfort on a day like today. Today I feel extra tender and can’t seem to find my own confidence. It’s kind of amazing how a stranger can warm your heart, even from hundreds of miles away.

Big love,

D

PS: If you want to see the behind the scenes video of me approaching Chelsey and taking these photos, check out my Instagram or my TikTok.

One yes can change everything.

My goal on this day of photographing strangers was to take photos of 5 awesome humans. After almost 2 hours of walking around in a new city in a different country, with no photos of strangers, I was ready to give up.

Things didn’t go as I had hoped. I was stuck. And the longer I was stuck, the more I convinced myself to give up.

I let so many awesome strangers walk right by me. I was imagining people rejecting me without even speaking to them. I convinced myself they would say no and watched dozens and dozens of people walk away.

The moment I was about to quit, I sat down on a bench and heard a voice whisper:

“Most people quit right before something interesting is about to happen. Shoot the damn ball, Darius.”

Then I looked up and saw this super interesting dude, who would be my first yes in this new city.

The rest of the day I spiralled into a winning streak. I felt like I was flying.

This isn’t groundbreaking; it’s just basic math. If there are zero attempts, there are zero failures.

You can’t miss a basketball shot if you never shoot.

Let alone win a game. Or have fun playing.

I was even ready for more people to say no. And that felt totally okay. Shooting and missing are just a part of the game.

This video actually starts with a gem of a human at the counter saying no thanks, then suggesting I photograph her co-worker and friend Val.

I needed that NO to bring me one step closer to my next YES.

In this example I was only seconds away.

Sometimes it’s not that immediate. But what if there’s a yes out there waiting for you?

Are you willing to shoot your shot and let go of the damn ball?

Love,

D

PS: If you want to see the behind the scenes video of me approaching Val and taking these photos, check out my Instagram or my TikTok.

Here are 7 things I love about dogs:

1. They don’t give a shit about how much money you make.

2. They make great cuddle buddies.

3. They demand that you spend time outside in nature.

4. They make sure you move your body every day.

5. They can smell your emotions—you can’t hide your feelings from them.

6. They will teach you a masterclass in unconditional love.

7. Loyalty.

When I was a kid, I had a dog named Comet. She was like a rocket: a beautiful, crazy-fast black lab who felt more like a sibling. And she kind of was, since my mom worked a lot as a nurse and I was an only child.

I remember the first time my mom and I met Comet as a tiny puppy. My mom had no interest in getting a dog, as a single mom who had too much on her plate already. But then Comet went outside to pee—sitting down. My mom had never seen a girl dog pee before. She instantly fell in love with Comet and said, “She pees like a lady.”

Dogs have a way of bringing people together and melting the protective armour around our hearts.

Thank you Chrissy for taking time out of your day to make art with a stranger. And a special thanks to Boogie, for keeping us present in the moment.

It was a treat to meet both of you.

Big love,

D

PS: If you want to see the behind the scenes video of me approaching Chrissy + Boogie and taking these photos, check out my Instagram or my TikTok.

What you don’t see in the video is that right before I found Zenartwerk, I was sitting on a bench having a pity party for myself.

This was my first day in Florida and my first time photographing strangers in a different country. I was nervous and didn’t know what to expect.

I was contemplating calling it a day after walking for 90 minutes without finding one person to photograph.

But that’s not true. I found many people, it’s that I couldn’t find the courage to walk up to them.

Then I saw Zenartwork, waiting for a bus across the street.

This dude just has a look that’s impossible to take a bad photo of. The results were magic.

But honestly his answer at the end perplexed me.

“Look good.”

What did he mean? Was he talking about physical appearances? I’m so used to people sharing such deep insights at the end that it caught me off guard.

I think I am only just now starting to understand.

After watching his video 5 times, I feel like I finally got it. And it’s deep.

What Zenartwerk meant—and I didn’t see this before—is to pay close attention to what’s around you.

Look good.

This was exactly the advice I needed in that moment, when I was almost done looking.

So many of us—myself included—quit right before something interesting is about to happen. But when we pay attention, it gives us the energy to keep going.

Things move slower. There is less of a rush. It allows us to see the love and art and God that exists everywhere.

It gives us the patience we need to reach the breakthrough just around the corner.

After this shoot with Zenartwerk, I was blessed to connect with 4 more amazing humans in less than 45 minutes. Each person was unique, magical, and willing to take time out of their day to make art with a total stranger.

Thank you Zenartwerk for sharing that deep wisdom with me.

I’ve got my eye open thanks to you.

Big love,

D

PS: If you want to see the behind the scenes video of me approaching Zenartwerk and taking these photos, check out my Instagram or my TikTok.

I am not sure what Helen meant by her answer in this video, but it hit hard.

Every time I watch her answer it impacts me deeper.

I am about to make an assumption and I could be way wrong. So if that’s the case, I apologize. But I have a feeling her answer is connected to the active war taking place in her home country.

The truth is I felt tongue-tied. You can hear it in my voice when she tells me she is from Ukraine.

I was nervous because I didn’t have the courage to say what I really wanted to say.

If I did, it would of sounded something like this…

How are you?

How is your family?

I am so sorry for what is happening in your home country.

It’s a tragedy. And my heart breaks everytime I hear about the pain and suffering that is taking place in your beautiful country.

AND…

I am deeply inspired by the tenacity and strength of the Ukrainian people.

The odds are so heavily stacked against them, yet they refuse to stand down.

I hope this war ends quickly and as peacefully as possible. There has already been way too much unnecessary suffering.

That would've been my truth.

But instead I said “nice” in a super high pitched tone.

It’s awkward and difficult for me to talk about war and death and pain with a stranger. I don’t want to upset them or overstep and make things worse.

This scenario has happened to me before. Toronto is my home, but Iran is my homeland—where I was born. So when a non-Iranian person reaches out to show support for the tragedies happening in my home country, it melts my heart.

Looking back, I wish I spent a minute after our photoshoot to have a conversation. Not for social media, but just as humans.

I think Helen started following me on IG, but I can’t find her.

Maybe one day we will talk to each other again.

Helen, thank you for your time. Thank you for your smile. And thank you for your truth in answering my question at the end. Whatever inspired your answer, I am grateful we got a few moments to make something beautiful together.

Big love,

D

PS: If you want to see the behind the scenes video of me approaching Helen and taking these photos, check out my Instagram or my TikTok.

I became obsessed with photography 8 years ago.

Here’s what got me hooked…

When I started taking black and white portraits, I noticed something.

Every human I photographed had two deep feelings that were in conflict:

1. Every human wanted to be seen. And…

2. Every human had a fear that if people saw the real version of themselves, they wouldn’t be liked, loved or respected.

No matter what the person looked like, how old they were, how successful they were… each person I photographed had some version of this conflict.

I had it too. I still have it.

It takes a shit ton of courage to be yourself and to share your truth with the world: the mistakes, the disappointments, the big dreams of what we thought our lives would be.

People who are honest with who they are and what they have gone through will always have my highest respect. Even if their past was messy—mine certainly was.

Because when we share these things, it reminds us ALL that no one is perfect.

And that reminder is what makes us feel connected.

Not just to the person in the photo, but also to our own hearts.

Huge respect to Cody for being so damn real with his answer at the end of this video. Thank you brother for keeping your heart open and being willing to share your wisdom with me and the world.

Big love,

D

PS: In case you were wondering I always ask for permission from each person before I share their photos and their videos on social media. Always.

PPS: If you want to see the behind the scenes video of me approaching Cody and taking these photos, check out my Instagram or my TikTok.

I have many goals and intentions for this year, but my most important goal is to follow Ryan’s advice at the end of this video.

I commit to being more compassionate, more patient and more kind to myself this year.

This doesn’t mean 2023 is going to be easy. I have an action-packed and ambitious year ahead.

But I can be really critical of myself, which is why Ryan’s advice is so meaningful.

Instead of celebrating how far I've come, in the past I would obsess over each and every mistake. Instead of focusing on what I was able to do, I would focus my attention on what's missing or what’s wrong.

It’s a heavy weight that I can now see has actually slowed me down over time.

Self-compassion and patience will give me energy to continue growing as an artist. I also believe that it will give me access to healthier consistency and allow me to burn out less.

So what would 2023 look like if we ALL decided to be 10% kinder to ourselves?

Notice that I didn’t say 100%.

And to be honest, I think even just 1% kinder would be a big deal for so many of us.

Thank you Ryan for taking time out of your day to slow down and make art with a stranger.

Big love,

D

PS: If you want to see the behind the scenes video of me approaching Ryan and taking these photos, check out my Instagram or my TikTok.