Creativity, Focus, Walls in Picture to Ponder – v7-issue1

I am ecstatic about the start of my New Year and hope yours is starting off well also. A few times in past issues of Picture to Ponder I’ve mentioned Dewitt Jones, a top National Geographic photographer, keynote speaker and more. Last year, I randomly clicked on a link in one of the ezines to which I subscribe and was treated to his 3-minute JUICE video.

I was super-excited with the uniqueness of the story, Dewitt’s response to the little boy “hero” and the passion for life and photography that was shared. I went on to watch the other four previews of his training videos. They include “Focus Your Vision”, “For the Love of It”, “Everyday Creativity” and “Celebrate What’s Right In Your Life.” If you have been a following the blog posts for a while, you can see from the titles alone what drew me in.

I so resonated with what I heard! Almost everything that Dewitt speaks throughout all the videos, in his philosophy on life, on creativity and being present in our worlds, and so much more, are the underpinnings of what I’ve been a stand for in my years of teaching and now in Picture to Ponder, my courses and my coaching. [For Today’s Photos and rest of the story –

So what’s the excitement now? I took, for me, a bold step and emailed Dewitt requesting a conference-line, phone interview. He replied immediately and, after I agreed to a couple of minor requests on his part, he said, “Yes!”!!!! (my exclamation points)

Now you, too, can have the opportunity to experience Dewitt on Tuesday night, January 11th at 8:30 PM Eastern Time. Check the INTERVIEW page to register for this complimentary call and/or to listen to a replay should you not be able to make the live call. You can call in by phone or use Skype, with no charge for the service.

So that you can get a sense of him yourself, I’ve included a few of Dewitt’s photos and quotes on the registration page. If you wish you can also check out the 3-minute JUICE video. (Other DVD previews and Videos can be found on DewittJones.com.)

In the follow-up email you will receive after registering, I invite you to email me with any questions you may have of Dewitt. We will attempt getting to them all within that hour. Now on to

Today’s Featured Photos

The top two photographs are of a wall on the grounds of a resort in Orlando, FL. Although they are of the same “peeling” spot, to me each of the photographs have a different feeling.

Without further elaboration, I’ll leave it to you to experience your own responses.

The bottom photo is of the structure behind waterfalls at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami, featured in Picture to Ponder in 2008. Thinking you might be looking forward to color, though I doubt that this is what would come up for you when you think color, I thought I’d include it here. It does fit the theme subject matter.

To see other views of the Vizcaya wall and ponder on some interesting Self-Reflecting Queries on “focus”, check out Volume 3 – Issue 22.

Self-Reflecting Queries –
I invite you to look into your life. Are there any walls, literal or figurative, that are having an impact on you? If so, is there any difference when you switch perspectives? Is your focus on a portion of it, what’s around it, or the whole scene?

Also, is there anything that you would like to be doing, an action you’ve been putting off taking? Is it something for which the only thing between you and the action is taking a “bold step?” If so, I invite you to take it. If it would help, whom can you ask to support you in it?

Would simply stating the intention to someone suffice? That’s what finally “pushed me over” to write to Dewitt. I made the promise to myself and another person that I would do it.

As always remember to have fun with the pictures and the queries and share on the blog what comes up for you.

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Reminder – Interview with Dewitt Jones and TFTL Telecourse –

The interview as described above is also an opportunity to experience more of what will be available for participants in the upcoming Through and From The Lens telecourse, starting January 25th for night session and January 26th for the day.

The call will NOT be one promoting a course, rather I suspect Dewitt will be pointing out and advocating a way of being in our lives with an emphasis on creativity. From the abstracted notes I took, a few months ago, while watching/listening to Creativity Every Day, Dewitt stated:

“What’s Creativity? … Not something magic or mystical. To me it’s just a moment Happens in a moment… When we look at the ordinary and see the extraordinary… Feels like falling in love. Falling in love with the world…

How can we use our creativity every day to make our work and our lives truly extraordinary? It’s falling in love with the world and in every act I have the potential for doing something.”

Should you find something with which you resonate, you may decide that you want to experience more. Throughout our four weeks together in the Through and From The Lens course, we will be experiencing using photography to find the hidden beauty in your world, to discover and develop your own unique eye, and to connect with others, nature and your environment.

I am also considering a specific, f*r*ee call to discuss the course and share how to use FlickR. Email me if this interests you.

Enrollment is limited to 10 participants in each session, so, if interested, check it out now. Details on TFTL – Jan 2011