the open road

Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road,
Healthy, free, the world before me,
The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose.

Henceforth I ask not good-fortune, I myself am good-fortune,
Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing,
Done with indoor complaints, libraries, querulous criticisms,
Strong and content I travel the open road.

Song of the Open Road, Walt Whitman

***

I came across these words from Walt Whitman just at the end of 2011, and immediately felt a rush of energy, adventure and possibility. It whispered to me "Go. Do the things you want to do. The road is wide open."

And of course, I couldn't resist.

A minute later, my "word" came to me: Free. Free to be, to do, to go, to shoot whatever my heart desires. Free of road blocks... And especially the self imposed!

So, maybe you've already got your word already, but maybe you don't. Either way you can join me on this. Close your eyes and see what pops up when you reflect on what you want to shoot this year. Don't be timid. Go big. Is it pictures of your life? Is it editorial, advertising, stock? Is it a project you've kept in the back burner for while? Perhaps you want to step it up professionally. Or maybe what your dream is to just make time to shoot {period}. Whatever it is, if what comes up for you feels like a *super delicious* secret desire that burns your core and gives you butterflies in your stomach... You've got it. That is it. Now imagine the open road. Feel that you own it (because you really do own it). This road is totally yours to conquer.

The time is now.

"These are the days that must happen to you".

Go.

Today I invite you to share images of open roads, paths, passages, doorways, or whatever may remind you that the road is wide open for you and that you, my friend, are leading the way (your way) in 2012.

Comments

[Marcie]

A vast and open landscape:
http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/home/2012/1/10/notes-on-a-page.html

[Sherry]

A path - actually one I rarely take around a lake in a state park. I walked part of the the path this year and hope to include it more often in future visits.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/42677352@N03/6631392501/

[xanthe]

Beautiful post Alex :) I hope 2012 takes you on an incredible journey.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/xantheberkeley/5649697012/

[The F Girl]

I have been thinking about this 'pick a word' idea that I see on so many blogs. And I guess we are on a same crossroad right now, because I told my husband the other day that if I had to pick a word it would be: "freedom". Freedom from all the things I HAVE to do myself, I HAVE to Be myself, all the boundaries that I myself put up on my path. It is time. I feel it loud and clearly in my heart.

I hope we'll meet again on this exciting path.

[LeAnne]

I used this as a prompt for my blog today. My word for the year is "Calling."

http://www.photosbyleanne.net/2012/01/it-seems-that-whole-word-of-year-thing.html

[Becky Sue]

I love the open road, a path, the possibilities. Great post!

With a mild beginning to the new year we've taken several walks through the woods. It's one of my very happy places.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rslaflam/6684196903/

[Valerie]

I love this post! There are some images here that speak to me of adventure. And they are of Angel Island, a place that was a gateway for many during the early 20th century.
http://journeyleaf.typepad.com/journeyleaf/2012/01/angel-island.html

[Kat]

This is wonderful! I love images of paths. They speak to me of possibilities, they encourage me to move. I shared a path not too long ago when I announced the opening of my online store. It seemed fitting... http://kateyestudio.com/2011/11/the-next-step-a-grand-opening.html

[Darcy]

This speaks to me so strongly ... I have savored the open road for so long. I just got married in December and am now experiencing a whole new kind of freedom in partnership. We spent our honeymoon in Tulum, Mexico, and this shot of a young, tattooed woman riding a bicycle down the road behind our hotel reminds me of the delicious freedom of that place - a place where people go for yoga retreats, healthy food, Mayan healing mud treatments and all kinds of personal resetting and refreshing. I want to hold onto the feeling of that place all year and take good care of myself while I capture life around me.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25748965@N00/6684697733/in/photostream

[WorthIt!]

A beautiful image and concept! This is one of my favorite images from my photo archive - for me, it suggest that the possibilities truly are endless.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52055227@N07/4841346156/in/set-72157624781735290

[Shirley]

We see a lot of the open road (or the open field), here on the prairie.
My daughter is lucky the mild winter has allowed her to enjoy it with her horse.

http://www.shirleybehindthelens.com/2012/01/like-spring-in-middle-of-january.html

[meredith]

I was blown away by a visit to South Dakota a few years ago. Here's one of my favorite photos of a road to what I see as the freedom of space...I live in a crowded corner of France and miss this space.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/poppy-in-provence/2666421350/

[Cherish]

This is a favorite open space of mine.
http://wonderdept.blogspot.com/2012/01/wonderful-quotes.html

[Stephanie]

When you're contemplating your life, it is a great time to think about life insurance. There's a website where you can answer a few basic questions and get a rate quote comparison among major life insurance companies. I work for this company and we help a lot of people.http://bit.ly/wiB2kP