There was something about this conversation with Dasha Dare that cracked me open in the best way. The way she weaves photography, self-perception, and consciousness together feels like a permission slip for every woman who’s been trying to keep herself “put together” while quietly longing to feel seen in a truer way. Our stories crossed paths on LinkedIn, but what she shared with me goes far deeper than a professional connection — it’s a whole new lens on how we relate to ourselves.

Dasha walked me through how our self-image is actually shaped long before we ever stand in front of a mirror, and how the photos we avoid looking at often hold the exact wisdom we’re craving. Her view of selfies as spiritual practice stunned me — not vanity, not performance, but a doorway into the parts of ourselves we’ve been taught to hide. One line I’m still sitting with: “You are never the image — you are what’s beyond it.” It’s the kind of shift that makes you rethink why your marriage, your body, your career, and your identity feel the way they do… and what might soften when you stop trying to manage the image and start meeting the woman beneath it.

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Connect with Dasha Dare:

Instagram: @dashadare
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dasha-dare/
Website: www.dashadare.com and www.time2dare.com

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Connect with Deanna Herrin:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deannaherrin/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deanna-herrin/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedeannaherrin

Website: http://www.deannaherrin.net