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

People ask me, “Why did you choose to make those pictures black and white?”

It’s a good question.

For me, some of the most colourful photos I have ever taken are technically colourless.

Something really interesting happens when you consciously remove things from the frame.

I can feel and see clearer when there is less.

I can connect with a human in a deep and more intimate way.

Everything is amplified, including the essence of their soul.

I fell in love with portrait photography through black and white photos and to this day they are my favourite way to capture portraits.

I still love colour photography, but black and white will always be my first and deepest love.

Huge thank you to Jordan Lindo for saying yes to being apart of my SoftMen portrait series. Love you brother!

D

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Do you ever feel like there is an untapped creative potential in your life, just below the surface, waiting to be unlocked? Let's unleash it together in only 7 days!

I am beyond excited to announce that I have officially launched a 7-day course called Supercharge Your Creativity in partnership with Insight Timer.

If you feel something magical inside your heart longing to be expressed in the world, this course is for you. Maybe it’s a new project, business, book, podcast, course, relationship, career, family, or something else.

Maybe you’re already working on something but it’s moving too slowly, or maybe you are feeling stuck or overwhelmed by the idea of sharing your creations with the world. Either way, this course is built to bring you back into the magic of your own creative mojo.

Each day of this course we will connect with a new spiritual power source to rekindle the clarity, confidence and momentum of your unique creative spark.

This course will also deepen your relationship with the tremendous wisdom and love that lives within your own heart. By the end of the 7 days, you will feel reunited with your creative dreams, while also feeling grounded in self-compassion and the loving patience needed to put the work in.

It was important to me to make this course as accessible as possible. The cost is only $59—or FREE if you already have an Insight Timer Plus membership. In terms of timing, it works out to less than 20 mins per day.

A huge thank you to Insight Timer for making this possible and for encouraging me to create and share this course on their platform. If you are unfamiliar with Insight Timer they are one of the world’s largest meditation apps and honestly my favourite platform to make content with. There is so much great free content on that app and their community is incredible.

Here’s the link to my course —> CLICK HERE

Big love,

D

Want to have some fun this week? Instead of asking people, “How are you?” try asking them, “What’s the most interesting thing happening in your life right now?”

Don’t compare yourself to their answers or judge what they say. Instead stay open and curious.

When I think about this question, I imagine that my soul is an actor and he’s playing a role called Darius. I believe that my soul came to Earth to play this role because he wanted a thrill and to explore the richness of the human experience, including all of the emotions and even the hardships. My soul is having a blast with this art project.

When I sometimes get lost in the details or forget that this experience was supposed to be fun, I lose perspective which can quickly lead to me feeling lost and alone. My soul loves the thrill of this “method acting” and enjoys being fully immersed in the character.

So what’s the most interesting thing happening in my life right now?

I am dating someone new.

This person has a powerful way of reflecting her perspective back to me. She witnesses me. Her approach is so gentle but also so penetrating. Maybe it’s her tone. Her frequency. Her eyes. Who knows?

She’s shown me things about who I am that I’ve heard before from others, but there is something about the way she reflects that breaks through all my doubt and imposter syndrome. Her reflections wake me up to who I am and who I have always been.

She’s reminded me that this character called Darius believes in the power of truth and vulnerability. He knows that going deep and being honest—even when it’s scary—brings him closer to love and connection. It’s also challenging for him to open his heart up to others and it takes a lot for him to show up and speak his truth. This experience is an emotional rollercoaster ride, both thrilling and exciting.

It feels vulnerable sharing this with all of you, but that’s the most interesting thing happening in the life of this character called Darius.

So, my question to you is this: what’s the most interesting thing happening in the life of the character your soul is playing right now?

Big love,

D

If you are feeling stuck.

If you are feeling trapped.

If you are losing hope.

If you feel like the walls are crashing in.

If you feel like it’s all slipping away through your hands.

There is a good chance you are zooming too far into a particular experience.

When we zoom that far in we can quickly lose perspective of who we really are.

Each of us gets the privilege of defining who we truly are (and what that even means).

But if we don’t actively define ourselves, the world will quickly jump in to fill the gap. And usually that’s not a good thing.

This world uses numbers to measure our worth: the money in our accounts, the amount of friends we have, the number of lovers we have, our height, our age, our clothing size—

—fuck that noise.

No number could ever measure your worth.

If you would like some support zooming out and remembering who you really are, I made this guided meditation on that exact theme.

It was a big hit during our Friday Artist Morning Live session a few weeks back.

Here’s the link —> “Support for Anxious Days - Zooming Out Meditation”

I am looking for 5 heart-centred people in the Vancouver area who are open to significantly upgrading their online presence, so that they can connect with more of their dream clients.

My area of specialty is supporting speakers, authors, coaches, therapists and artists.

I have worked with hundreds and have taken over 800,000 photos of people all over the world.

The people I want to support the most are individuals who are committed to using their passion, wisdom and energy to positively impact the world.

I know how to help these people take photos that ACTUALLY FEEL and LOOK like their best selves.

I will be in Vancouver June 12 to June 16. If you are interested click the link here that will have all the details including pricing, examples and a ton of testimonials.

Big love,

D

I have taken over 800,000 photos of humans, but yesterday was unlike any other photoshoot I have been a part of.

I am still processing the magic of what happened so I will keep this post short.

Warren Falkenstein possesses a superhuman ability to transmute pain into focus and love. What I witnessed him do during our HEARTshots session yesterday was so deeply inspiring.

Yesterday's experience is an example of the transformative power of a photography.

If someone is open to it, a photoshoot can be a life-changing experience. It gives them an opportunity to slow down and get present with who they are, to see how far they’ve come, and to deeply look at themselves.

Nothing in my life has been more transformational for me than my photoshoots, but some leave a bigger impact than others. This one left a LION sized impact.

Warren, you are a very special human and it was an honour to support you on this journey.

I can't wait to show you everyone the photos we took. They were remarkable in so many ways.

More from me soon.

Love,

D

PS: Follow Warren the Peaceful Warrior on IG here —-> @walkwithwarren

My dear friend Sal Talon is one of my greatest collaborators and someone I not-so-secretly call a “secret weapon.” She shared a powerful life lesson with me yesterday during our photoshoot.

I have not been able to stop thinking about this incredibly powerful lesson. So today I recorded a short podcast for all of you to share this lesson Sal gifted me.

To anyone who feels stuck, or feels as if there are important things you need to do and dreams you want to bring to life but you can’t seem to find the energy to do them… this lesson might just be the missing piece.

There is a much easier path available.

Listen to my podcast here —> DAY 71

This lesson can help all of us prevent burnout and also bring more joy into our lives.

Without Sal I’d be a very different artist and human.

Thank you Sal for broadening my perspective, for helping me believe in myself, and for supporting my journey as an artist. You’re one in a billion.

Love,

D

PS: Sal’s also an amazing singer and songwriter. Here’s a link to some of her music.

You made it. You’ve never been this far.

You broke your previous record for consecutive days alive.

I asked my phone and it told me I’ve been alive for 14,683 consecutive days. That means that TODAY is officially the oldest I have ever been!

And guess what? today is also the oldest you have ever been too.

That’s a personal record.

Maybe you feel younger than you did 10 years ago, but that does not take away the fact that today is officially the greatest number of consecutive days you have ever been alive.

Take a moment to breathe that in.

Today is the oldest you have ever been.

How does it make you feel?

Each person will experience this differently. And there is no right or wrong way of feeling into that fact.

Personally, I love thinking about this. It gives me a new frame to see my life.

So many times I feel stuck or like I’m repeating patterns in life that do not serve me. But when I remember that I’ve never experienced this day before—I have never been through a March 9, 2023 before—and how it’s my first and only day like today… it can renew my energy and help get me get unstuck.

When I realize I’ve never been this many days old, and will never be again, it can turn a mundane Thursday into a personal record. It’s like a mini-birthday.

Another other fact I love to reflect on is that not everyone is lucky enough to get to 14,683 days of life. It’s a privilege and a blessing.

Holy shit, I made it this far.

How freakin cool.

Try it out for yourself. Do a quick Google search or ask Siri how many days it’s been since your birth, and take a moment to reflect on how far you have come.

Nobody knows how many days we will get in our life’s journey, but what’s for certain is that you and I made it this far.

And I think that is worthy of a celebration.

Love,

D

Picture this: you, me, and four other kind and supportive humans taking photos, mastering our smartphones, and having a ton of fun.

I’m excited to announce my next 4-hour smartphone photography workshop is taking place LIVE in-person at my Toronto studio on Friday, March 24th.

It’s only open to 5 attendees, so it’s really intimate and each person gets lots of quality time with me.

This type of workshop is one of my favourite things to do. There are so many reasons I love it, and here are a few:

1. I get to share my love of photography with you. I get to see you fall in love with photography and see yourself and the world with new eyes.

2. There is always a “Holy smokes, I am beautiful!” moment that happens at every workshop. I get to see you see yourself differently. It’s the BEST!!

3. The entire workshop is based in fun and play. It’s as if we’re all kids on a giant playdate, and I get to share my toys with all the other kids. Play is the only way I know how to do anything worthwhile.

4. Even though everyone walks in as strangers, we walk out as a mini-community of kind and creative humans. It’s a beautiful thing to see how kind and supportive everyone is to one another. It’s the X factor that lifts everyone’s energy, and we all leave feeling more grounded and confident because of it.

And I’ve added a BONUS for workshop attendees:

I am including a FREE mini photoshoot at the end of the workshop. If you have ever wanted me to take your photos with my big fancy camera, this is literally the least expensive way to make that happen.

If you are ready to finally feel confident taking photos and videos with your smartphone, and if you want to hang out at my studio for an afternoon and make art together, then join us on March 24th.

—> CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT <—

I’d love to see you there.

Big love,

D

PS: The last 5 times I ran this workshop it sold out, so if you’re interested don’t wait too long. 🌟