Memoirs and musings of Darius Bashar. Toronto portrait photographer and writer, in pursuit of all things real, raw and intimate.
I am doing research for my next YouTube video. The topic of the video is telling the truth.
I have one question for you. —> Why is it important to tell the truth?
Feel free to drop your thoughts in the comments below or DM me your answer.
Thanks in advance to everyone who takes the time to think about this and shares their answers with me. I appreciate you guys a ton.
I don’t know about you, but when shit hits the fan and life starts to get overwhelming and uncertain, the easiest thing for me to do is stop taking care of myself.
It’s so easy to fall out of my morning rituals. To stop meditating. To stop journaling. To stop exercising and eating healthy.
By default, my coping mechanism is to bury myself under my sheets and eat and watch Netflix till I can’t feel anything… not even my own heart.
After 38 years, it is clear to me that this approach will not help. It only prolongs and exacerbates the experience.
What I need most in times like these is to stay as connected and close to my heart as possible.
I need to double down on self-care, friends, family and community.
Since the new lockdown announcement on Friday and the chaos that ensued, I worked hard to evolve past my default programming to run and hide, and instead chose to focus on the things that matter most.
And I am really proud of myself.
I am sharing this post because I know someone out there can relate.
It’s okay if you need to hide. It’s okay if you want to shut down. I get it. I’ve lived it for years.
But…
Maybe you are ready to update that internal operating system. That default programming inside so many of us. Maybe there are gifts in these really challenging times. Opportunities to grow and ascend to a different level of being.
Whatever you choose, just remember: it is a choice.
Love,
D
PS: Two of my favourite self-care practices are meditation and journaling. If you are looking for a bit of space, support and structure to incorporate both into your week, come meditate with us at Artist Morning.
It’s 100% free and everyone is welcome. We meet every Wednesday and Friday from 9am to 10am (est).
You might just love it. —-> www.ArtistMorning.com / link in bio @dariusbashar
There is a lot going on in the world. All of us are dealing with change and uncertainty on a daily basis.
This simple 15-minute guided morning meditation will help you find INNER PEACE and CALM within yourself.
In this meditation, we will explore the change that is happening all around us from a beautiful mountain overlooking the ocean.
I invite you to give your thinking / doing brain a rest and go on this journey to find endless peace, power and creativity within yourself.
This guided journey will meet you exactly where you are and help you compassionately explore and express your truth.
BIG LOVE,
D
PS: If you’re looking for a FREE collection of Guided Morning Meditations, I’ve got you covered → https://www.artistmorning.com/free-meditation-for-creativity / link in bio @dariusbashar
PPS: Come meditate with me live. We meet as a group on Zoom every Wednesday and Friday at 9am EST. Sign up here for free → Free Group Meditation / @artistmorning
#meditations #meditationpractice #meditationtime #meditationteacher #meditationclass #meditation🙏
It takes place every Wednesday and Friday from 9am to 10am (EST).
It’s free and open to EVERYONE.
And it only takes 11 seconds to sign up. —> www.artistmorning.com
If you can’t make it but you still want to mediate, please feel free to browse my full collection on Insight Timer. —> https://insighttimer.com/dariusbashar
Big love,
D
#meditations #meditationpractice #meditationtime #meditationteacher #meditationclass #meditation🙏
54 weeks ago today, I had a baby. That baby’s name is Artist Morning.
For two weeks, I didn’t tell anyone about this beautiful new creation… mostly because I was embarrassed and felt like a total imposter.
I was embarrassed because Artist Morning was totally different from my regular job as a commercial photographer and cinematographer.
My inner critic voice was relentless:
“What do I know about making guided meditations?”
“Who am I to try to bring people together as a community?”
So despite how important this was to me, I kept it hidden at home and did not tell the world about it.
Then I spoke to my dear friend who created safety and support for me to dream a little. He helped me imagine what Artist Morning could become. Shout-out to the incredible @chrisassaad, I love you brother!
A few days later, my partner @jlmansell sent me a podcast by @adam.roa and @prestonsmiles. This podcast triggered the hell out of me. It felt like a personal attack on me and my newborn creation.
And it was exactly what I needed.
For more on this and the story of Artist Morning, check out the video.
This video is for anyone out there that has their own newborn creation that feels BIG and scary—especially if you don’t feel qualified.
Big love,
D
PS: Come celebrate Artist Morning's one year birthday with me. Let's meditate and journal as a community. We meet as a group on Zoom every Wednesday and Friday at 9am EST. It's 100% FREE and you might just love it → www.artistmorning.com / link in bio @dariusbashar
#createmore #creativityeveryday #artisttips #createdtocreate #createyourself #artistsway #ArtistMorning
I used to hate all photos of myself. I would do everything in my power to avoid even seeing myself because it was too uncomfortable. Sometimes I would brush my teeth with the lights off because it was not fun standing in front of the mirror in my bathroom.
What happen? What shifted? How did I get here? That’s a longer story for another time…
Today, I see photos of myself and I feel so much love for the human looking back at me.
He’s so sweet, tender, funny, and kind. And to me he’s beautiful beyond words.
I love my human. He’s so special to me.
And I’m sorry for all those years I was unwilling to see him and celebrate him.
I am so glad we found our way back to love and back to each other.
Do you relate to this? Drop a comment below and let me know.
———
Photo by the amazingly talented @Michchiu
#beautifulhumans #behindthephoto
“You can go to extremes with impossible schemes
You can laugh when your dreams fall apart at the seams
And life gets more exciting with each passing day
And love is either in your heart or on it’s way
Don’t you know that it’s worth every treasure on earth
To be young at heart
For as rich as you are, it’s much better by far
To be young at heart”
- Young at Heart lyrics by Carolyn Leigh
I heard this song on the radio yesterday. It’s a timeless classic performed by the legendary Frank Sinatra. If you haven’t heard it in a while, I definitely recommend giving it a listen.
It reminded me of so many of my photoshoots. Because almost every photoshoot has a moment where I can see and feel the inner child of the person I am photographing.
A very special moment when their inner child feels safe enough to come out and play.
It’s often my favourite part of the entire shoot.
Those younger parts of us deep inside our hearts are often the key to our fullest self-expression. They are the keepers of so much joy, play and tremendous levels of creativity.
Thank you dear Anitta for letting your glorious inner child come out to play during our photoshoot. Your inner child is incredible, and so are you.
Big LOVE,
D
———
PS: If you want to make something beautiful with me in 2021, send me a message and let’s start the convo. I've got a great HEARTshots promo this month. --> www.dariusbashar.com/heartshots / link in bio @dariusbashar
Last week was challenging for a variety of reasons.
And some unexpected things came up that threw me out of my morning rituals.
→ Not doing my morning rituals made EVERYTHING in life more difficult.
But today I feel renewed.
Because today I got back to my FULL morning ritual and I feel a deep sense of groundedness and FLOW.
For me, my morning rituals are the best way I know to get me into that “wonderful state” that Robert Henri is talking about.
Do you have a practice that puts you in that state? Comment below or shoot me a DM, I’d love to hear your methods.
Lockdowns are really tough.
Many of us are hurting and feel lost and alone.
If you’re like me and you’re feeling the heaviness of this week, I want to invite you to join us this morning for a very special group meditation at 9am.
It’s free, it’s simple, and you might just LOVE IT.
These morning group meditations are full of incredible humans who support each other. There is a community and connection which many of us are longing for since the lockdown.
The only thing you need to bring is your presence. You can show up, leave your video off, and just listen.
Plus, today’s meditation is one of my faves and can really help shift your energy.
It takes 30 seconds to sign up. The link is in my bio / www.artistmorning.com
I hope to see you this morning.
Love,
D
When it comes to creativity, talent is not as important as you think. Because sooner or later, something will get in the way of creating or expressing yourself in an authentic and exciting way. This is inevitable.
And the longer you do something, the more of these challenges you will encounter. If you're not ready or prepared for the bumps along the way, they will take the wind out of your sails and sometimes even knock you out of the game for good.
What you need is RESILIENCE.
It’s been a journey since my first business failures in my early 20's; I've learned a ton of lessons along the way, but especially lessons on how to build resilience as an entrepreneur and artist. In this video, I share three of my favourite and most effective tips—clear and actionable things you can start today— on how to build your resilience.
Let me know what you think about these tips or if you have any I didn’t include—I would love to hear them!
#artistmorning #behindthephoto #torontophotography #torontophotographers #createmore #artistsway #creativityeveryday
