Danielle Hark is a writer, freelance photographer and photo editor, and certified life coach whose work has been featured in various publications, including Psychology Today, Dr. Oz’s YouBeauty, The Mighty, and Upworthy, as well as numerous books and anthologies. Danielle is also a mental health advocate who lives with depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. In the midst of her struggles, Danielle founded Broken Light Collective, a non-profit organization that empowers people living with or affected by mental illness using photography.
Click to tweet: Danielle Hark shares her incredible journey on the i’Mpossible Project Show!

Time Stamped Notes

• 1.50 Danielle has struggled with depression and anxiety for much of her life, officially diagnosed while in college
• 2.08 Danielle has since been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, traits of OCD, ADD, and PTSD
• 2.55 Danielle started the non-profit Broken Light Collective, which empowers people living with mental illness using photography
• 3.01 Danielle is a mom to two girls who are turning 2 and 7!
  4.30 In high school, theater was a big component that helped Danielle while she was struggling with identity and undiagnosed mental illnesses
• 6.56 Danielle had a grandmother who was a painter at the end of her life and taught Danielle how to paint when she was a 9 years old
• 8.06 Danielle counts poetry and film as other creative methods that has helped her get through and explore difficult times in life
• 11.01 After the birth of her first daughter, Danielle went through a severe 2 year depression, and eventually photography (as a mindfulness tool) helped save her life
• 19.50 Danielle’s 18-year-old dog Audrey is her spirit animal and is a big time animal lover (find out more fun facts about Danielle in the Quick Fire Round)

Key Points

1. Creativity and the creative process can help a person, knowingly or unknowingly, overcome obstacles in life
2. Creativity can be paired with counseling/therapy as a powerful tool for hope, healing, and self-development

Resources or Websites Mentioned