Darius Bashar
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Toronto Portrait Photographer || HEARTshots || Black + White Photography

Memoirs and musings of Darius Bashar. Toronto portrait photographer and writer, in pursuit of all things real, raw and intimate. 

Posts in Risky Fridays
This Might Be the Best Thing I've Ever Created

This week I learned a massive lesson…

I can have a MAJOR impact on my own life and also the lives of others by releasing ideas when they are raw and unrefined.

In the past, I would sit on an idea and keep it hidden. Partly because I was afraid someone would steal it, and partly because I was nervous that people would laugh at me. 

This meant the idea would fizzle away. There was zero accountability because nobody knew what I was thinking. There was no momentum because no action was taken. 

And yet this week, I released a few fresh and RAW ideas. Unrefined. Unprocessed. Straight from the source.

The result? I got hundreds of comments, DMs, emails, voice notes and even calls. Where I thought people would judge me, the opposite was actually true. 

And after a week of stepping into the unknown with brand spanking new ideas, I can’t help but wonder what else is possible. 

During today’s meditation I received another idea that got me more excited than ever. So I’m putting it out into the world to see what happens, and who resonates with it. 

No attachment. No expectation. Just curiosity.

Because it feels so good to receive from the Universe and release into the world. 

Happy Friday, y’all. Is there a risk you want to take today? Is there a download from the Universe you are ready to release? 

This week I learned a massive lesson. Releasing Ideas when they are raw and unrefined can have major impact in my life and also the lives of others. In the past, I would sit on an idea, keep it hidden partly because I was afraid someone would steal the idea, partly because I was nervous people would laugh and mock me because.

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If You Can Scare + Excite Me I’ll Work With You For Free

Before we start, there are 3 things you need to know about me & how I became a photographer: 

  1. I have zero formal training in this craft.

  2. I only began doing this full-time in 2018.

  3. I convinced people I could do things that I didn’t yet know how to do.

That last point is how my whole photography career began. I walked into a client meeting with a creative idea, the client said yes and signed the cheque, and then I walked out. It felt so dangerous and terrifying that I wanted to throw up. But the terror drove me to figuring it out, and over time I saw that this method was actually a strategy that worked really well for me.

Because eventually, I started feeling excitement in addition to the terror. And the balance of these two feelings is really productive for me. It keeps me on my toes, it keeps things fresh, and it builds confidence if and only if I ride the wave all the way to the end.

It worked so well that I was able to build my whole business around taking risks. Around stepping into the unknown and pushing edges. And best of all, now I’m transparent with clients and collaborators in meetings, often telling them:

“I’m not exactly sure how we’re going to do this. But I want you to know that the unknown is where I do my best work.”

But it’s important to remember…

For a risk to truly be a risk, it means there’s a chance it might not work.

That’s the whole point. So if you’re going to play with the magic of risk, be sure to stock up on relentlessness and resourcefulness. Because when you reach the inevitable point where you have no idea what to do next, you’ll have the energy to keep going and trust that you will find your way out.

Does this sound like fun to you?

Let’s take a risk together. If you’ve got a photography idea and would be interested in collaborating with me, comment on this post and then DM me your concept. Open to anyone: makeup artist, models, close friends, complete strangers, ANYONE.

  • It doesn’t need to be fully fleshed out. It could just be a feeling or a photo you’ve seen online.

  • It doesn’t need to cost any money. (This is not about commerce for me. This is about art, creation and collaboration.)

  • It doesn't need to make sense.

  • You don’t need to have experience.

  • I‘ll pick an idea that most activates my heart and scares me a little.

It won't cost you anything. You have nothing to lose, but it still feels risky, right? That's the nerves. It’s okay; I feel them too. They are full of magic, I promise.

All you have to do is write 2 words below and we’ll take it from there. Comment below with "Let’s play.”

(CLick to enlarge photos)

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