Instagram has only been around for 13 years, but humans have been writing, creating and expressing ourselves for millions of years… way before the internet was a thing.

Currently, Instagram wants us posting short, high-intensity Reels. I often have to carve off parts of my message to mold to the platform’s content recommendations.

The more I follow these rules and guidelines, the more the algorithm sends me views, comments and followers. The flood of positive attention feels good, validating, and sometimes even like love.

But the next day when I wake up, instead of thinking “What do I want to create today?” I ask “What will get me more love on Instagram today?”

This shift is unconscious, and it seems subtle at first. But it’s not.

When you carve off an inch every day, the truth of who you are becomes more distant.

Less and less of you shows up until one day you look in the mirror and you don’t recognize the person looking back at you anymore. All this, just to feel some social media “love”.

But what is your anchor, as a creator? What do you really love?

I am someone who loves depth. I thrive in long conversations, not 10-second soundbites. I do 5-hour portrait sessions. I love talking about deep topics and taking my time.

These very true elements of who I am don’t seem to get a lot of love on Instagram, so to play the game I carve off parts of my message to fit into the mold. But this can be very destabilizing.

My suggestion to other creators out there is to do a quick check-in. See if Instagram (or any other social media platform) has snuck its way into your creation process. Do you start with “What do I want to create today?” or “What will work on social media today?”

It’s super subtle, but can make a world of difference.

Big love,

D

I woke up today and had several ideas for social media posts, all of which were very serious and DEEP topics.

I set my camera up and was ready to dive in, but the moment I saw my own face on the camera, my 8 year old self just wanted to play. 🤪

So I decided to follow what was most alive in my heart and have some fun instead.

Even though at the core I wanted to explore a more serious topic, it’s nice to allow levity and play into the conversation sometimes. It reminds me that I don’t have to take life so seriously.

In the past I wouldn’t have been able to let my playful side show up while recording a video. Or if he showed up, I would have sent him away immediately. I would only share a one-dimensional version of me.

I would have posted the video and been totally oblivious that anything was missing.

There’s nothing wrong with only sharing one dimension of yourself on social media: your business side, your confident side, your intelligent side. But what I have discovered is that when people dive a bit deeper and show me the many parts of who they are—even the messy and unfinished parts—I feel more connection and trust. Because they’re human, just like me.

Sure, Darius is serious and deep AND also he’s playful and silly. And apparently he’s into astrology now too. Ha!

So… do you believe in astrology? I think most people believe in it a little bit, I am more curious to know what % you believe in it. For me I’d say I 25% believe in it. On some days maybe closer to 50%.

As I mentioned in the video:

• my rising sign is Scorpio

• my sun sign is Capricorn

• my moon is Taurus

For those that are familiar with astrology, does any of that surprise you? And if you’re open to it, what’s your sun sign / moon sign / rising?

I am still very new to all of this and find it so fascinating.

Big love,

D

PS: I don’t think I believe in any modality or philosophy 100%. I like to explore as many as possible and even intersect and combine a few. But that’s just me.

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.