Dariush Azizi – What defines me
a pen, what changed everything
Words, the most powerful engine of humanity. They can transfer our mental possessions to a multitude of other minds. They can be as trivial as a joke or as revolutionary as inciting a rebellion with mere words, just as Thomas Paine did in America. A pen and a mind full of thoughts, a piece of paper holding words together to craft a treatise for breaking boundaries, for freedom. A treatise that came to be known as “Common Sense”…
And we all hold a pen in our hands and a mind brimming with thoughts. It only takes bringing the right words onto paper to see how the empire of our words is upheld by paper knights and how what we think spreads among other minds. And I have a pen with which I write. For freedom, for progress, for breaking the cages of our minds…
Sometimes, with this pen, I write poetry that spans from the ancient verses of Hafez, Saadi, and Ferdowsi to Nima, Forough Farrokhzad, and Sohrab Sepehri. At times, my pen drafts a fictional narrative. Sometimes it’s a text brimming with romantic sentiments, other times as melancholic as a forest under autumn rain, and occasionally the words carry the fire of anger. My pen depicts my world with words. Without my pen, I become less than nothing…
My camera – My tiny emotional friend
Photography is a means to capture the mental frames that dwell within me.
I am a portrait photographer, drawn to capturing people’s smiles and what lies behind their eyes. With my camera, I have depicted the emotions of human minds and framed them into photographs, turning them into keepsakes on their desks. For several years, I also worked as a freelance photographer, capturing sports photographs of athletes. These images concealed their hope, perseverance, and hard work,
illustrating the muscles shaped by years of training. My photography stemmed from passion, a love for capturing smiles. That’s why I eventually ceased to pursue it professionally. Now and then, I dust off my camera and seek out those who feel the need to see themselves, to recognize their efforts, and to harbor hope for a future they might have deemed hopeless…
“Lenses that capture moments and a pen that transforms images into words. In this way, our moments gain power.”
1. Swimming : a connection to another world
My specialty in sports is swimming, with over 18 years of training experience. It’s a sport I’ve been passionate about since childhood, feeling a deep connection with water that allows me to communicate with it and achieve mental tranquility. My interest and extensive training in swimming have enabled me to participate in competitions and meet all the prerequisites of a lifeguard, though I never pursued certification. Endurance swimming means kilometers and hours away from the surrounding world, immersing myself in a quieter, more peaceful realm.
3. Skiing: Becoming one with the snow
Gliding and surrendering to the snowflakes. This sport was for me a deep connection with snow and physics, a bond to maintain balance and move forward. I pursued skiing professionally for one season, then recreationally in the following years. My professional training period in skiing was golden, skiing at Tochal’s seventh station, the highest ski resort in the world, and experiencing weather conditions I had only seen in movies. It provided the motivation to continue amidst the snow, completely forgetting the cold.
4. Horse Riding: A connection with a noble animal
For a year, I trained in horseback riding, a challenging sport. It’s a tougher connection with another living being, where you must synchronize not only with your body but also with another creature. The most beautiful moment in this sport is when, after riding, you stroke your horse’s mane and see how you’ve bonded with each other.
Sports represent our internal battle against our fears.
To me, engaging in sports marks the beginning of a movement towards progress. Hope and perseverance are the outcomes of exercising, providing the motivation to prepare me for life’s challenging moments. Moments that have taught me never to give up, moments that, despite their difficulty, are surmountable. And the result of this can truly be called magical.
2. Calisthenics: A gateway to balance
Calisthenics became one of my favorite sports after swimming, in which I’ve been active for nearly 3 years. It’s bodybuilding with your own weight, without additional weights, maintaining balance with whatever you have. This sport was like a romantic rendezvous with each muscle in my body, allowing me to focus on them and achieve significant changes, witnessing continuous growth. I still prefer it over weightlifting with dumbbells and machines because of the unique connection it creates between body and mind, which is absent in other disciplines.
5. Other Sports:
Bodybuilding, kayaking, badminton, volleyball, table tennis, chess, mountain climbing, and karting are other sports I’ve practiced but not for long periods. Overall, I find individual non-ball sports to be my favorites because they provide a platform for a deep connection with myself, fueling my love for sports.
6. Travel, to me, means being alive
Traveling and camping are among my other interests and leisure activities, perhaps even a purpose for living. Exploring the unseen and experiencing the unknown. Facing new challenges, both difficult and easy. Escaping the monotony of daily life. All of these signify travel to me, and travel signifies being alive.
