Two Roads Diverged in a Wood…

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that
~ ~ ~ has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

Today's economic climate might be one road in Robert Frost's wood. Another road might be reinventing creativity...
How does a nature and landscape photographer find the road less traveled by?

Around Our Planet in 80 ms...
Was it just nine months ago when my didactic memory converted Around the World in 80 Days to Around Our Planet in 80 ms? What is Around Our Planet in 80 ms?
It began as a way to look at nature and landscape photography of other people on the Web, transporting myself each day to some other part of the planet to see its gorgeous natural habitat.
Along the way, I began to discover very active photographers. These guys and gals tend to blog several times a week, showing their latest images and discussing their common future.
Yesterday, I took stock of the growing blog roll which appears on the right-hand side of Pathways of Light. Where I found an active blog, it remained. If I found a blog older than two weeks to a couple of months, it was removed; I wasn't learning much from it.
Then I went out searching for other blogs to see if that 'new' photographer was not only going to provide me with gorgeous nature and landscape images _ but_ share their thoughts and dreams for creativity and survival in today's economic climate as well.

New Visions
As I approached the First Annual New Mexico Photographic Art Show (ANMPAS), marketing was strongly on my mind. What if I met a museum director, gallery owner, excited tour prospect, or rich mentor at ANMPAS - how would I show them my portfolio and place my photography under their purview?

Enter the Apple iPod Touch...
Working PowerPoint for so many years, it seemed like a simple hop and a skip to create a slideshow and a video of my portfolio. Then, I’d pull out the Touch, hand it to a prospect, and literally let them swipe through images in my portfolio - at their own speed, with their real emotions in control!
This approach has already netted a workshop request, an early spring tour plan, and yesterday, another potential sale of Ship Rock from a busy physical therapy specialist in a full rehab center.

I Took the One Less Traveled by...
Although it's been a day or two, memories of learning in graduate school are a strong part of my creativity. As I studied Around Our Planet, many digital photographers were producing podcasts on a wide variety of digital photography topics. A podcast is in-depth discussion between several professional photographers (about 30 and 90 minutes).
In a relatively short time, podcasts re-introduced me to a new 2010 way of learning ~ taking a long walk and attentively listening to and learning from creative photographers who discuss their vision and new ways to overcome our economic dilemma. Early 2010 podcast represent some 48 hours of focused learning potential...
With magazine, newspaper, and Web world trying to find a new, stable, economic base for digital photography, that's lots of talented effort assessing what our future holds!

And THAT ~ ~ ~ Has Made All the Difference.
While I'm not shooting for another Master's Degree, old learning skills and new creativity paths are revitalizing my views of photographic creativity at the start of our second, and seemingly more trying, decade of 2000 A.D..

Imagine This...
Those long walks can occur while in training for a tour; while scoping out a new tour site; while traveling to and from tour sites. The fact of the matter ~ my iPod lets me go anywhere, learn anything, and truly enjoy each full dynamic day - while thinking, being in shape, and ‘staying fit’!

Just think...
Not only are my creative juices flowing, but active endorphins keep me young!

Happy New Year...