I often catch myself fantasizing about a different way to live my life.

Most of my life up until this point I’ve been chasing.

• Chasing business ideas

• Chasing a soulmate

• Chasing sales quotas

• Chasing the algorithm

Chasing is a full-octane, adrenaline-soaked experience.

It’s a roller coaster ride for your nervous system. Like a lion on the hunt.

First you set your eyes on your goal… Then you get really focused and the rest of the world fades away. Your breathing calms down, and inch by inch you get closer. Then at the exact right moment, you sprint with everything you have to the finish line.

There is no guarantee of success, which is what makes it so exhilarating. I am excited just writing about it.

While many great things have come into my life through chasing, there is something new happening inside me. A longing for a different way.

I can’t help but imagine…

What would happen to my life if I got off this roller coaster ride?

What would happen if instead of chasing, I allowed more peace, more calm and more grace?

(I honestly don’t know. This is all new to me.)

I have this intuition that there is a cost to peace. It’s not free.

I would need to give something up because peace requires letting go of a lot.

• Letting go of control

• Letting go of who I thought I was

• Letting go of what weighs me down

I get overwhelmed by this train of thought. Until I remind myself that I should not be chasing peace.

Peace will not run away if I move really slow. In fact, peace prefers it.

Love,

D

Sometimes I feel like I am making a documentary of my clients lives. Especially the ones that I get the privilege of working with on a yearly basis.

Today Tarzan is coming into my studio for our 5th photoshoot.

Each time we have played together she has felt like a new and evolved version of herself.

All of us are growing, that’s how life works, but with Tarzan the expansion has felt really intentional and deep.

I remember from day one how light and playful she was. Yes, she runs a very successful business (Email Stars), but it was clear to me that she was so much more than just an entrepreneur.

She was really interested in connecting with me. Human to human. Soul to soul.

After 4 years of working with her it’s crystal clear to me that Tarzan really cares about people.

Our second shoot was an adventure in the city. It felt like we were running around Toronto making a music video together.

Our third shoot was more structured, as it was an indoor white backdrop type of shoot. That said, Tarzan still found ways to bring her fun, warm and playful energy to that experience.

And for our last shoot, I got to witness her more tender and radiant side, as we went on an adventure in the forest.

I have no idea what to expect for shoot #5.

But I have a feeling it’s going to be magical.

Big love,

D

PS: If you’re new here, my name is Darius and I am a professional portrait photographer that loves to work with authors, coaches, speakers, healers and artists. I have taken over 800,000 photos of awesome humans all over the world and I am currently looking for a few new clients to work with in the spring and summer.

I have an awesome spring/summer promo, so if you are interested in learning more, check it out here.

Dear Adil,

I have known you for more than 20 years.

It’s been such a gift to have you as a friend for over two decades.

To watch you grow and to be able to grow alongside you.

It’s been a thrill to witness you lead organizations and projects that have impacted the lives of thousands, such as the Center for Social Innovation, Reset and Toronto For Everyone.

And to watch your incredible love story with the brilliant and beautiful Shilbee as it unfolded over the past decade has templated what is possible within love, for me and so many others.

You and I have probably had more courageous conversations than I’ve had with any other male friend in my life. The type of conversation that might start off difficult, because it addresses a hard truth, but then ends up changing our lives in so many amazing ways by allowing us to look at parts of ourselves that needed attention.

Recently, you held space for me as I processed some grief, sadness and anger. It was very difficult and much needed. Yet I want you to know that it inspired me and gave me hope about what is possible in friendship, especially amongst two men.

I love you Adil.

I can’t wait to continue growing alongside you and to keep rooting for you and your gigantic heart.

Big love,

D

PS: If you want to see the video reel I made for Adil you can find it on my Instagram or my TikTok.

I haven’t heard the term “spiritual creator” before, but there’s something I really love about the idea of creators, artists, and innovators who believe in divine guidance.

As a spiritual creator, these are 3 practices I do before I create anything:

1. I meditate and connect with my own heart.

2. I burn sage or palo santo in order to cleanse and clear myself and my workspace of any stagnant or unwanted energy. (see special note below)

3. I say a prayer and ask God for help and support. Yes, I know that God is a complicated concept for many, but in my heart God is one of my best friends and most badass collaborators. The prayer to God is slightly different every time but always includes the following lines…

Dear God,
Please use me as a vessel for your divine expression.
Use me as an instrument of your love.
Give me the courage to go into the depths of my heart and find my truth.
And the courage to speak my truth in my own authentic voice.
Whatever happens from there, I let go and let God.

Today’s post is dedicated to anyone else who feels seen and recognized when they hear the term Spiritual Creator; people who feel that there is something important in their hearts that they are looking to express.

Whatever personal practices or creative rituals you might have, I hope they lead you to creative momentum and spiritual growth.

Big love,

D

Please note: sage and palo santo are sacred indigenous medicines that need to be treated with reverence. It is a good idea to find a trustworthy source to teach you about these two powerful medicines and how to utilize them with respect to the land and the people they came from.

95% of my clients don’t like getting their photos taken. They’ve had some negative experience of photography and are often nervous. But Fran was not typical. When she walked in the door, she was 0% nervous and 100% ready to go.

From the first moment I spoke to Fran in our intro call, I knew it was going to be special. I could feel both her inner artist and her inner child. They were excited, loud, and ready to play. A powerful combo.

Most of the time my clients want me to figure out the creative direction of the photoshoot, which I am more than happy to do. Meanwhile, Fran had done research on what types of photos she wanted, and even had a moodboard ready for me.

I remember the moment she walked through the door on the day of our first shoot. We took a moment to ground ourselves by chatting and having tea. Then when it was time to begin, we jumped right in.

I learned that Fran is deeply committed to growth, and I think this is where she gets so much of her courage. She knows that the fastest way to grow is by going just outside of your comfort zone.

Often when I photograph people yearly, there are big differences. But in Fran’s case, what I saw was a deeper expression of the same qualities of kindness and optimism.

Yes, she had grown as a person, but she was still the same kind and courageous Fran.

Watching Fran express herself in the photoshoot and then seeing her support herself while reviewing the photos afterward left a big imprint on my heart.

It gave me permission to be kinder and more loving to myself.

Thank you, Fran! I am so grateful for both our photoshoots together.

Big love,

D

PS: If you’d like to work together this winter or spring, I have a great promotion til the end of this month. —> https://www.dariusbashar.com/heartshots

PPS: If you want to see a fun video Reel I made for Fran you can find it on my Instagram or my TikTok.

When I look at these photos, I see a teenager on her last day of high school. I see freedom and adventure. Everything feels possible.

It’s been a stretch of time since Vera was a teenager, but it’s clear her essence is full of youthful exuberance.

Her intention for the shoot was to let the youthful energy in her heart dance.

I think she nailed it.

Working with Vera during this shoot was truly like working with a curious, adventurous and playful child. She and I created space for her younger self to come out and play, and it was truly a wonderful experience. There is so much creative magic when our “childselves” are invited to show up and play.

I grow so much by witnessing my clients open their hearts and share the truth of their souls with the world. It takes a lot of courage to go into the depths of your heart and find your truth.

It takes even more courage to bring that truth into the world and share it outwardly.

Thank you Vera, for both your courage and for your willingness to be seen.

Your light and radiance makes this world a better place.

Love,

D

PS: If you’d like to work together this winter or spring, I have a great promotion til the end of this month. —> https://www.dariusbashar.com/heartshots

PPS: If you want to see a fun video Reel I made for Vera you can find it on my Instagram or my TikTok.

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.

Nothing steals your joy faster than comparison.

Social media has infinite options for us to feel shitty about ourselves by comparing our lives to others.

Sure, you could quit social media altogether. I have tried this at least 7 times, each time it did not stick. There were too many benefits of social media that I didn’t want to deny (e.g. building community, meeting amazing humans, being able to inspire people all over the world, and growing my business).

Yes, you can unfollow or block people, but that also feels extreme. Don’t get me wrong—if someone totally feels out of alignment I unfollow them quickly. But it’s more complicated than that.

Because there are also awesome humans that I love that trigger or activate my nervous system and steal my focus and ruin my day.

I’ll notice that my shoulders cave in. My breathing slows down; I literally get smaller. The energy I had to go out into the world and explore and expand and express is suddenly contracted and slow.

Sometimes this can be caused by close friends or family members. Sometimes these are people in my industry who I deeply respect.

Unfollowing them feels unnecessary.

Did you know that Instagram has an awesome option that allows you to “mute” them instead?

The best part of muting is that they will never know.

I want to suggest that you mute anyone who steals your joy in this way. And by anyone I mean ANYONE.

Next time you’re on Instagram and you start feeling less-than, notice if that same person regularly messes with your mood. If so, no matter who it is, think about hitting that “mute” button.

An important caveat: I’m not suggesting that you mute people and causes that have different opinions from you. You don’t need to mute someone who helps you expand your opinion of the world, even if they make you feel uncomfortable. Instead what I’m suggesting is that if you’re spiralling down a comparison rabbit hole, ask yourself, “Do I need to be looking at this? Is this supporting me to rise up to my best potential?”

Big love,

D

Watch my 60-second tutorial on how to “mute” someone on Instagram here —> https://www.instagram.com/reel/CoKZhpuAX3y/

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.