I love all types of artists. But authors hold a special place in my heart.

Maybe it’s because I love books so much.

Or maybe it’s because I romanticize the writing process.

To tell stories, build characters and the worlds they live in, with as little as a notebook and a pen—that looks liberating to me.

I think most people want to write a book. But I’m guessing only 0.01% of people actually do.

(Which only makes me love and respect authors even more.)

I imagine getting to the finish line as an author takes tremendous strength and courage.

You have to be strong enough to go into the depths of your heart and find your truth. And then you have to be courageous enough to speak your truth in your own authentic voice.

As a photographer, I’ve had the honour of working with probably 100 authors in my career: some who’ve written New York Times best sellers, and others still working on their first book.

Of all those writers, none have published as many books as my friend, the patron saint of authors, Angela Lauria (@drangelalauria).

Since 1994, she’s helped almost 2,000 entrepreneurs write, publish, and promote their books. Her clients’ books have received over 10 million reads and $100 million in cumulative revenue.

She’s also one of the most interesting humans to talk to. Her life feels like a movie. In fact, they actually made a documentary film about her life a few years back.

These photos are from our shoot in the Hollywood Hills in 2020, right before the pandemic started.

I am grateful that there are guides like Angela helping aspiring authors bring their creative babies into the world.

Thank you Angela for all the inspiration, conversations and laughs over the years.

Love you friend,

D

PS: If you’re an author or have plans to become one in the next year or two, I’d love to support your book launch with photos that showcase your most confident and magnetic self to the world. I specialize in working with emerging thought leaders and would love to chat. I have a great promo this month as well. Here’s the link —> dariusbashar.com/heartshots or if you are seeing this on Instagram, the link is in my bio (@dariusbashar).

“It is an impossible situation. Either we comply with Apple’s demands or Insight Timer will die. These are our two choices.”

This is what Christopher Plowman (the CEO of Insight Timer) said, understanding the gravity of the situation.

A few weeks ago, Apple blocked Insight Timer from being able to update their app on the iPhone App Store. Apple recently updated their Terms of Use and claimed Insight Timer was not in compliance.

Apple’s new policy calls for 30% of all revenue from digital content through streaming.

At the heart of this battle is a difference of opinion on what “digital content” means.

On the one hand, I believe Apple sees the future of streaming and wants to be properly compensated from it’s app developers.

For example, on a video game platform like Fortnite, the term “digital content” could be an in-app purchase of a shield within the game. The game developers create a small digital product once, which is on sale forever. Apple would receive 30%.

But Insight Timer has something called Live Meditations, which are often 60-90 minute custom experiences. The community can donate to teachers during these live events.

I’ve hosted several of these events on Insight Timer and they are so wonderful. So full of love, kindness and depth. The donations allow teachers like me to spend more time making meditations and spiritual wellness content.

100% of these donations used to go to its teachers, but now Apple needs 30%.

It makes no sense that these events are in the same “digital content” bucket, because it’s a totally different thing. And Insight Timer has no choice but to comply.

Over the last few years, Insight Timer has shared over $20 million of their revenues with their teachers. They’re the most generous platform I have ever worked with BY FAR and are legitimately making the world a better place.

They’ve helped so many of us on our journeys of meditation, mindfulness and wellness.

Now, Insight Timer needs our help.

So reply, share, repost and add your views to this conversation. Be heard. Tell Apple your Insight Timer story. Explain what this community means to you.

Together we are infinite.

Big love,

D

When two dancers can find a moment of flow and freedom together, they leave their minds and get swooped up by something beyond themselves.

It’s beyond thinking, beyond logic, beyond practicality.

When I started taking black and white portraits 9 years ago, I was a very different human. There was a part of me that was lost.

Despite having many wonderful people in my life, I felt a deep sense of loneliness. I think this was because I didn’t really know who I was, and at the time I was afraid to go inwards and find out.

In hindsight, the black and white portraits series I started 9 years ago was an attempt to learn more about myself by looking deep within others.

I spent hundreds of hours with humans of all backgrounds, ages, sizes, ethnicities; each person who sat in front of my camera taught me something about my own journey. In each person I would see myself, and to be honest I think they could see themselves in me too.

It was a surprising (and often beautiful) transcendent experience of two people becoming one… and then almost become none.

That might sound strange. Because it is. There’s nothing normal about it, but it’s the most beautifully strange and moving experience I have ever felt.

Sometimes it feels like the most amazing dance.

I often look back and ask myself, “How did we even take those photos?! I don’t remember any of it.” I think this is because we were in flow and something beyond us was working through us.

I am so grateful for all the dance partners I have had over the years:

All the humans who have trusted me to take them on this magical journey. 🙏🏽

If there is something about my photos or my writing that calls to you and you’d like to learn more about these dances, then let’s chat. I have a great promo for my HEARTshots this month. Here’s the link www.dariusbashar.com or if you are seeing this on Instagram the link is in my bio (@dariusbashar).

Big love,

D

PS: Special shoutout to the amazing human in the photos, my “little bro” who I trust and love deeply, the one and only Brandon Ferguson.

Most of my clients are emerging thought-leaders: authors, coaches, speakers and business leaders. Usually their brands call for photos in a relaxed professional studio setting. My studio is great for this because it’s both bright and vibrant, and also creative and professional.

Many of my clients also need to capture lifestyle shots to round out their branding, and this can be achieved with outdoor photoshoots.

Last year, for the first time ever, I offered clients the option of doing both indoor and outdoor photoshoots in a SINGLE day.

I called them COMBO Shoots and last year I probably shot 15.

It was amazing.

What makes COMBO Shoots work is that they generate so many photos with such a wide range of energies—this could cover your photo branding needs for years.

We also have a ton of cost savings when we do it all in one day and I’m sure clients love that part too.

Here you can see one of my favourite COMBO Shoots from last year.

This was the first day Brenda (@theearclinic) and I met in real life. We had a few Zoom calls to prepare for the shoot, but hadn’t actually met.

Let me tell you: Brenda came to win.

She embraced all my notes and guidance on how to prepare for the photoshoot and she fully leaned into the experience.

All the time and energy we spend in pre-production (before the shoot day) is so important because for most of my clients, this is their first professional photoshoot.

I’ve had the honour of working with hundreds of people and have taken over 1,000,000 photos to date. As you can imagine, that leads to many tips and strategies for future clients to have a better experience and walk away with better photos.

It’s a lot of fun sharing these tips with clients and watching their confidence grow throughout the day.

Watching Brenda continue to step into her power and confidence was a thing of beauty.

If you’d like to learn more and explore working together this spring or summer, check out my promo page —> dariusbashar.com/heartshots. Or if you are seeing this on Instagram, the link is in my bio.

My summer shoot days book up fast, so if you feel called, don’t wait too long.

Big love,

D

I wouldn’t be a photographer if it wasn’t for RESET.

The summer of the first Camp Reset in 2015, I fell in love with so many beautiful strangers and wanted to share their stories. Portrait photography became my outlet.

I remember the opening night of the first year. One of the founders (and now one of my best friends) Adil Dhalla-Kim spoke to a group of 100+ adults about how summers felt endless when we were kids.

He explained how time feels different for kids because we’re experiencing so many things for the first time. And if the open and curious mind of a child can somehow bend time, then we could tap into the same magic as adults if we want to.

Reset was the first place I heard adults talk about inner child work. If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know how important play and inner child exploration is to my life.

I wouldn’t even be making meditations if it wasn’t for RESET. (Or at least, the meditations would be very different.)

Reset was also where I first experienced the transformational impact of PLAY. I knew what play was before, but for the first time—thanks to the brilliant curators at Reset—I saw how healing and expansive play could be.

I hate to think what my life would be without Reset.

They have a space in Toronto called the Reset Living Room, and it’s like a community centre—except that it’s so much more. You’ll find co-working space, games, arts and crafts, focussed work areas, a sauna, music, and the kindest humans you’ll ever meet.

(I promise, you’ve never been to a place like this before.)

In a time where so many of us feel alone, disconnected and divided, Reset is a totally new way of bringing people together.

I am sharing this with you because Reset is in the midst of a campaign to keep their brick-and-mortar location open.

Their campaign to keep the Living Room open runs until March 28th.

Reset is a community that played such a big role in my life that I literally would not be here, doing this work, living this life, if it wasn’t for them.

So go learn more about the great work that Adil and his amazing team at Reset are doing here —> @helloreset

And I’ll see you at the Reset Living Room 🙏🏽

Big love,

D

We are all works of art.
We are not broken; these are just scars.

Don’t listen to the stories.
Listen to your heart.

The words above are from Andrea Florian’s song, Works of Art.

Andrea has been making music since 1996 and has released 5 albums and 58 songs. But like many of us, Andrea’s journey was not a straight line.

After years of touring, Andrea decided to take several years away from pursuing music professionally. She got married and raised 3 children with her husband. She also founded her real estate company, Florian Realty.

Yet, through all the ups and downs of life, Andrea would always find her way back to music.

On her website, she says, "Music has always been my heart’s language, an expression of my journey through life’s ebbs and flows."

I had the honour of working with Andrea in 2023 and it was an experience that left me incredibly inspired.

Because sometimes as we get older, we lose ourselves.

Sometimes all the busyness of life takes up our focus and attention.

We have responsibility, families, jobs, businesses, loved ones.

So it’s that much more important to slow down and connect with our hearts… to really listen and feel if there is a longing, a desire, or a creation that wants to be expressed.

I have dozens of guided meditations on very topic.

If you need help carving out time to connect with your heart or are craving a deeper journey, please send me a message. My HEARTshots Photography Experience is built for exactly this.

You can also visit the link in my bio for more info about HEARTshots —> @dariusbashar

My superpower is helping humans (usually over the age of 40 and 50) remember how powerful, how beautiful, how wise they truly are.

Big love,

D

PS: Huge thank you Andrea for this incredible song and for allowing me to support you on this next chapter of your journey.

PPS: If you have time today, search for “Andrea Florian” on your music streaming service and play her latest single Works of Art.

Hair and makeup by Kelly Davidson (@kellyd.makeup)
Styling by Caprice Conners (@capricestylist)

Hello Artists,

I am working on something new and exciting at Artist Morning. For the first time ever, I will be launching a paid membership program for community members who want to deep dive with me and receive more direct mentorship and support.

Who is this membership for?

• People who are ready to share more of their gifts with the world
• People who want healthy accountability and are tired of working alone
• People with a growing To-Do List who want support to get shit done
• People who find it difficult to stay away from online distractions
• People who are excited about growing as a community

Instead of building the membership offering on my own, I am co-creating it with the support of the community to make sure it has maximum value.

I’m inviting a small group of people from within the Artist Morning community to sample the program. This way I can get immediate feedback and optimize the membership.

One of the main components of the membership will be called “Deep Dives” and I’m looking for 10 volunteers to pilot the program.

(The membership will include two more interactive components, but today I want to focus on the Deep Dives.)

Deep Dives are a productivity method I have been using for over 4 years and this is how it works:

• We meet for weekly 2 hour Zoom calls and bring 3-5 tasks from our To-Do List.
• I guide us through a short grounding exercise before we dive in.
• We share what we’re working on for the first 25-minute dive.
• We leave our videos on and start working.
• At the end of each 25-minute dive, we do a quick check-in for progress and accountability.
• Then we rinse and repeat. In total there are four 25-minute dives within the 2-hour Deep Dive.

For the month of March and April I will be running the Deep Dive pilot program for FREE and fine-tuning the process for our Artist Morning community.

If you’d like to be included in the pilot, reply to this post/email with the words “Deep Dive”.

For the first round of Deep Dives, I am only looking for 10 people.

Big love,

D

About 90% of my clients are female entrepreneurs, many of which are also incredible mothers, grandmothers and caregivers of some sort.

Sometimes I feel like the best photography training I ever got was growing up in a household with 7 wonderful women.

I was the only male for most of my youth.

I witnessed and learned so much from watching these smart, strong, expressive women:

• Unflinching commitment to family

• Work ethic and the ability to juggle so many balls at once

• Loving with a gigantic heart

• Boldness / not taking shit from anyone

Nowadays, I see many of these traits in my clients.

I have no idea what it’s like to be a mother, but from what my clients tell me, it often means prioritizing your family.

I saw my own mother do this all the time. And her tremendous sacrifices deeply impacted me.

Whether my clients are are mothers or not, one thing that is constant about them is that they take care of a lot of other humans. They have these giant hearts and support and care for so many people.

This is one of the reasons I love using my HEARTshots photography experience to carve out dedicated time just for my clients. The entire experience is 100% about them.

HEARTshots are a temporary pause on all the caregiving, so that we can place some much deserved attention and care on them. This often fills their cups and allows them to continue doing the great work they do in the world.

The photos below are from a recent photoshoot I did with Ilana Cohen, who very much reminded me of the women in my family.

She is smart, driven and generous.

Ilana is at an exciting new chapter in her career. She runs 2 businesses and they are both growing and showing tremendous potential. She is stepping further into her power and using her background as a lawyer and her own very personal life experiences to help others.

It was so much fun to work with Ilana. I can’t wait to see where she goes from here.

Big love,

D

PS: If you want to learn more about working together take a look at the link in my bio. I currently have a great promo.

Many years ago when I was in my 20s, I was working at an advertising agency. I remember posting something on Instagram and then “liking” the post. Not even 10 minutes later, someone at our office came to my desk and said, “Wow, you liked your own post, who does that?! Don’t you think that’s a bit vain?”

I immediately felt embarrassed. I had apparently broken some sort of online social contract. I asked a few other co-workers if they ever “liked” or hearted their own posts, and everyone said they did not.

This experience left a big impact on me.

I actually went back and unliked several of my posts. I didn’t want to look selfish or self absorbed.

A few years ago, I decided to re-examine this belief that our content should only be liked by other people.

New Darius concluded that this concept is ridiculous and might even be harmful to our self confidence and sense of worth.

Today, my mission is to hit that like, heart, or thumbs up button before anyone else even has a chance.

I make it a fun ritual. I’ll post and rush to the page and hit the button and say something like, “Good job, D! No matter what happens from here, I’m proud of you.”

Maybe you do the same and have been hitting that like button for years, or maybe, the idea of doing so feels like an edge for you.

If you’re up for a challenge, open one of your own social media profiles, scroll back in time, and hit that like button on at least 10 posts. Let Past You know you love and support them. Or if you’re posting something new this week, see what it feels like to be the first in line to support and celebrate yourself.

Then, if you have the space, close your eyes and just feel what comes up for you. All feelings are welcome. There is no right or wrong way of doing this.

I wonder if other people feel how I felt back in my 20s. Is it embarrassing to like your own social media posts?

Or maybe YOU feel something totally different.

Big love,

D

PS: On a scale of 1-10, how willing are you to “like” your own posts? (10 = totally willing, 1 = totally unwilling). Let me know in the comments below or reply to this email if you received this in my weekly community letter, because I’m genuinely curious how other people feel about this.

Hello dear friends,

I have a BIG update I am excited to share with you.

After careful consideration, I have decided to focus my photographer services on a single offer.

No more packages. No more mini-photoshoots. Just one clear and simple service for a super well defined audience.

After taking over 1,000,000 photos, I have gained crystal-clear insight on my style of photography, my creative coaching process, and who my services are most effective for.

And here it is…

My HEARTshots™ Experience helps emerging thought leaders grow their impact and their income.

To be more specific, my HEARTshots™ process is built from the ground up to give clarity, confidence, and momentum to emerging authors, speakers, coaches and artists.

The word “emerging” is key.

If you are about to launch something new (a course, a program, a book, a speaking circuit, a website) and you want to level-up your brand, then you are EXACTLY who I want to support.

This levelling-up can be hard. It’s easy to get stuck and and revert back to playing small.

On the surface people think photography is simply just about looking good on camera, but it’s so much more than that. It’s an opportunity to really see yourself. With the right guide and the right process you can find paths to deeper support and love for yourself, which will help you gain momentum for your launch.

To successfully step into a new expanded and evolved version of yourself (aka “Future You”) you will need to let go of old thoughts, beliefs and judgements that no longer serve you. This requires a lot more than just photography.

In my opinion this is where I can help you the most. And yes, you will receive beautiful and magnetic photos—I am a skilled photographer.

But much more importantly you will have a seasoned self-expression, confidence and branding coach, by your side to help you lovingly stay focussed, stay clear and build momentum, so that you can make sure the photos are authentically you.

Everything you need to know about my self-expression coaching and photography process can be found on my new website.

Have a look at my new website. The link is in my bio.

Big love,

D