Inspiration and the opportunity to get passionate about a cause that helps others can happen at any time in your life. Tanner Wendell Stewart, a photographer from Seattle, knows that all too well as he was unexpectedly moved in 2012 on a trip to Bulgaria.
While visiting the country as a volunteer for the A21 Campaign, a non-profit organization that strives to prevent human trafficking around the world, Stewart began taking photos in a village when he saw a man and holding a beautiful baby boy. He asked for permission to take the baby’s photo and was then offered the opportunity to buy the baby for $50, as he was informed by his translator.
In the video Stewart says that, “To experience human trafficking on a firsthand level — that it’s not just a statistic, that now it’s actually the face of this baby, it has completely shifted my passion and desire to help this cause.”
Stewart raised about $50,000 for the A1 Campaign through the publishing of his book of photographs, Shoot The Skies. As reported by The Observer, Stewart sacrificed the comfort of living in his home to spend 2013 capturing beautiful images of 20 national parks in 5 different countries, as well as 1 photo for each day of his journey, causing the book to grow to 400 pages.
“I don’t think generosity is about money. I think generosity is about your heart, and about how you give things, whether it’s your time, or your art, or your money, or whatever it is. As long as you give with a generous heart and you’re passionate about it, I think that’s being generous,” says Stewart.
There is something beautiful in what motivates people to not only take a stand for a cause, but dedicate a bit of themselves to make the world a better place. What keeps you motivated to help others for your favorite cause?
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