I started the year 2015 in India. January. Kolkata. I found myself back where I always end up, a difficult place to be but so filled with love and warmth. I taught my third workshop there benefitting survivors of human trafficking. I ended my trip at an orphanage in a small village outside of the city. I waved goodbye to the boys and girls, two of whom knocked on our door at night to sit and giggle on our bed, singing traditional Bengali songs while we looked on in awe, unable to find a single song to sing in return save for Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

There are so many moments that shape who a person is and becomes. I looked out of the car that was taking us to the train station at the children, all of them reaching their little hands into the open window for one last goodbye, and that moment struck me. I felt as though I was watching someone else through the dusty window of the old vehicle, like time was moving so slowly and the huge smile on my face frozen in time.

Another moment was in March, on my birthday, when I was supposed to be teaching a class at WPPI. Instead I was in the hospital from food poisoning, made worse because of my Fibromyalgia. I was unable to walk by myself and couldn’t get out of bed to get to my class. I cried when my friends left for a time. I posted online about how sorry I was, and expected backlash because I had to miss my own class…the one I baked a cake for and everything. But nothing bad happened. Instead, I saw the kindness of this community. I received well over a thousand comments and messages and emails with healing vibes, and I harnessed them all so I could share my birthday cake with everyone the next day. Moments like that stay with you.

April came. I was desperate for adventure. I wanted to do something uncomfortable and exciting. I went camping despite the weather being at 20 degrees F. We froze all night. My best friend woke me every half hour to ask if I saw something moving outside the tent. At five AM we packed up and went to a nearby lake, and I jumped in. It took every ounce of energy and mental control I had. I have never been in colder water than that. And it was entirely worth it. To summon your energy and find the strength to say yes instead of no, that is why I do these things to myself.

In May I found myself sitting with a dead bird in an old chateau in France. I cradled it; a small bird in my small hands. I had no idea what I was going to create, but I wanted to honor the bird’s life. And so I did create – whatever felt natural, whatever felt right. “The Weight of a Feather”, I titled it, and it felt like it was supposed to be. I wafted through the countless rooms of the castle with my new friends, each of them offering to help in different ways, each of them showing their support to someone they had just met days before. And it felt like family. I felt like I was home. And I felt like I, finally, listened to my heart.

Later that month I went to Iceland. The hour was midnight and all four of our RVs pulled up to the glacier lagoon. Some of us were tired. Others were excited. Most of us were a mix of both. We got out and stared at the blue icebergs floating, quietly, in the blue water. The blue sky turning from slate gray to purple from time to time, clouds wandering in and out of my gaze. It took us time to get our bearings. And once I saw the spot that I had been dreaming of, the one I had conjured up in my imagination of what Iceland would look like, I put my blue dress on. I slipped into a pair of plastic waders to keep dry, and I set my camera up for a self-portrait. I wandered into that icy water, playing down how scared I was, and I focused my mind. Just create. Just breathe. Just feel. And I did. All 18 of us took pictures as I glided into the water, stumbling every now and then over the uneven terrain of the water’s floor. And I posed, back-bending, lightly touching the water, head up to the sky, exactly as I felt in that moment. Alive. Whole. Fulfilled.

In June I was in Australia entirely by myself. I didn’t know a single person. After I gave a lecture, I invited anyone who wanted to join out on a photo shoot at the Secret Garden. The next morning that group of us showed up ready to have an adventure, and so we did. The mud was up to our knees in places, and I decided I would throw caution to the wind and despite my better judgment, I let all of my outfits get covered in mud for the sake of adventure (and later, the nicest woman would take all of those muddy clothes and wash them in her machine at home so I wouldn’t have to hand-wash them in my bathtub at my hotel). We took pictures, gave hugs, laughed until our stomachs hurt, and made friends. By the end of it a girl called Laura came to join us. She had driven 3 hours to be there and just caught us at the end. I was covered in mud from head to toe, literally. She asked if she could help model, and within seconds was rolling in a mud puddle. We embraced in a hug and afterwards, the group of us went out to eat lunch like we’d been old friends for as long as we could remember.

Fast forward to October. My life was changed forever. I hosted my first convention. Trying to use words to describe it would be too time consuming, so I’ll say this: I was supported in ways I never thought I would be. I was challenged in ways I never imagined. I was changed in ways I did not expect. And every single part of it was a dream come true.

November. Back to India. “Right back where we started from”. And it was a full circle. After over two years of fundraising and jumping through hurdles, I opened The Light Space, photography school for survivors of human trafficking and abuse with my partners Laura Price of Blossomy and Urmi Basu of New Light Kolkata. The inauguration started as I spoke to the students. They wanted to learn. They wanted a different life. They saw their future, the possibility of it all. And I knew, beyond a doubt, that the work had been worth it. My dear friend Amy Parrish came with me to dedicate 4 months of her time to educating the students. Cameras and lenses and computers were all donated and our little school grew wings.

There were so many moments this year that impacted me. Meeting 100 creatives in London. Speaking at different venues. Swimming at sunrise in France. Vacationing in Spain. Quiet mornings writing my novel. Portfolio reviews. Building a set. Making videos. A photo shoot at the ancient temples in Cambodia. Bathing with elephants in Thailand. Watching my family grieve as my aunt passed away. My husband’s dedication to our fulfillment. My sister moving to be closer to me.

Endless.

And so I ask you…

What moments impacted you the most from 2015?

When you share your most impactful moments from 2015 in the comments below, you will be automatically entered to win a giveaway of this dress that you see in the cloud/space image!

I am weirdly sentimental toward this dress, and it is today’s GIVEAWAY! I got it a couple of years ago and wore it to events, notably the Project Imagination red carpet. I then proceeded to abuse it beyond reason in a multitude of different photo shoots, including some of my personal favorite images. It is time to send it off to a new home though, tattered and worn as it may be. Leave a comment below to be entered into the drawing!

Love & Peace!

We have made great leaps forward during my last trip there and are almost ready to open the doors to the first class of 15 students. I am partnered with Blossomy, the amazing organization that I work through in India, as well as New Light, an organization in Kolkata to help survivors of human trafficking. The partnerships are in place, a location is rented, a curriculum has been set, we are securing the main instructors, and we will open doors officially in October 2015. Now it is time to fill the space…”The Light Space”, to be exact…a play on our partner organization’s name, New Light, and referencing the safe space that these individuals will have to create in.

We are looking for donations to run the school, as using our limited budget for equipment would deplete it quickly, and we need that money to go toward payment of instructors and rental fees.

What we need (any brands, new or used!):

DSLR Cameras
Lenses
Batteries/Chargers
Memory Cards
Tripods
Camera Bags
Laptops/Chargers

If you would like to donate, email me for an address.

My assistant will be gathering the equipment. This address expires in May, so please ship donations before MAY 2015. I will be sending HUGE THANK YOUs to everyone involved. And really, truly, thank you for aiding in the fight against human trafficking and for your generosity. Even if you cannot give anything at this time, thank you for reading and for spreading the word. You are light.

For any questions regarding donations, you can contact me through my website at:

www.brookeshaden.com/contact 

When I was visiting a vegan restaurant in Phoenix we saw them promoting the idea of a cruelty-free holiday, and have fallen in love with the idea. I have been vegan for 2 1/2 years, and far more than it being a diet, it is a way of life. It is infused in every single decision I make, from how I treat animals to how I treat other people, to how the choices I make impact the world.

Given that this holiday is so much about compassion for me, I wanted to talk about ways that we can incorporate compassion, kindness and generosity into our lives this week.

1. Write a letter to someone you care about.

Gratitude. It reigns as king in a world where happiness is priority and everyone can benefit from a little loving. Send your thanks to someone with the written word. Let them keep those words close. Share your love.

Here is a video all about GRATITUDE and how important it is for HAPPINESS.

2. Sum up the 3 events in your life that are most meaningful to you.

Be grateful for the experiences you’ve had. Something wonderful can fuel more amazing experiences. Something terrible can change your way of viewing the world. Whatever your experience, focus on them and why they were so meaningful to you. Finding meaning in the past promotes a more meaningful future.

3. Name something you have done for yourself that has been a positive force in your life.

You are the life-force behind the decisions made in your life. Give yourself some credit for making choices and allowing your life to move forward. What is one thing you have done for yourself that was a change for the better?

4. Figure out one way to help a stranger.

Give someone a card. Give someone a hug. Hold a door for someone. Buy the person in front of you in line a drink. There are countless ways to help people, and whether they need it or not is not the question here. The fact is, you never know what a person is going through no matter how well-off they look, so show kindness to someone today.

5. With some extra money you have, buy someone a meal who needs it.

Especially around the holidays it is easy to see a separation between those who have and those who have not. Buy a meal for someone in need, or donate to your local food bank. It can make a huge difference in someone’s life.

6. Find an artist online and show them you appreciate their work.

Find a way to support an artist you love by giving them some kindness online. Heck, find anyone you think might need a few words of encouragement – someone who you think is doing something great – and share your kindness.

7. Buy a card for someone you love and mail it.

What is better than getting a card from someone and being reminded that someone is thinking of you? I love getting cards in the mail, though it happens very infrequently. Spend the $5 and mail a card, or make a card and send it out…it can cheer someone right up who just might need it.

8. Next time you find something frivolous that you want for yourself, use the exact amount it costs to buy something for someone else.

See a lamp you want, or a dress, or a sweater, or a hat…look at the amount, write it down, and use that amount you felt you could spare for yourself on someone else. It feels amazing.

9. Find someone you’ve lost touch with and let them know you’re thinking of them.

We all have friends we’ve lost track of over the years. Take a moment to contact one of them and let them know that you still think of them and wish them well.

10. Adopt a Turkey, Eat a Field Roast.

I am a passionate vegan, and I do my best not to talk too much about it on my blog. Why? Fear of people getting annoyed, I suppose. But what is so much more important to me is that we try our best to promote gentle and kind actions toward all living creatures and our environment. So this year, when you’re thinking about a big Thanksgiving dinner, I sincerely hope you’ll consider adopting a turkey instead of eating one. They are amazing creatures who deserve our love and compassion.

At Farm Sanctuary, you can adopt a turkey by spending $30 – the average amount a family would pay for a turkey for their meal. That money goes to the farm to continue the welfare of these animals. Instead of having turkey, which I know is a beloved family tradition, try out a field roast or an alternate form of meat. It will be entertaining, if nothing else. Or try a new centerpiece from whole foods – it could surprise you!

11. Check out the “Giving Back” page of my blog for ideas of how to donate your time to charities in need.

Did you know that the number one thing that can effect happiness is how grateful you are?

Gratitude, kindness, generosity, compassion…these are the things that give us a sense of fulfillment. These are the acts of service that truly make a difference in how we feel inside as well as how others feel as a result. The more we promote our passion, the more we can promote the passion of others. The more we love ourselves, the more we can love other people.

Everything begins within. The most radiant form of kindness starts inside and expands outward. Find your empathy today. Find your compassion. Be kind. Love wholly. Be present.

Happy ThanksLIVING, everyone. Thank you for being part of my passion and for sharing yours with the world.

Will you be putting any of these suggestions into action? Or do you have another idea of something kind to do?

Share how you plan on spreading the kindness in the comments, and I will randomly select one person to receive a costume from my collection.