I'M HERE TO EMPOWER YOU!

I’m an artist . . . but that’s not saying much, because I believe, and it is something that I have devoted my time heavily to convey, that art expression is an inherent property of human nature. The media may vary, but not the innate disposition.

Those that know me have heard my “talent-as-myth” diatribe all too often, and if you end up tuning in to my posts, you will encounter it soon enough. It is my goal to change the notion, which a great number of people resign to, that one needs to have “talent” to pursue the art they feel or want and am doing this on a daily basis through my program in the G+ Mentorship Program for Photographers.

With that as preface, I will probably devote a portion of my posts to inspiring artists, but I also plan to impart other conceptions that I have about life in general, with the goal of elevating, encouraging, enlivening or energizing those who read them.

Let me begin with this:

I wish for you the ability to create for yourself all that your heart desires.

Start!


➡️ fill out this form, if you’re interested in the new home for “G+ Mentorship Program for Photographers”

➡️ fill out this form, if you’re interested in keeping in touch or getting mentored by Robin


You can begin by watching "The Myth of Talent" here:


"The Myth of Talent" by Robin Griggs Wood

Robin Griggs Wood •artist•(@robingriggswood)'s Instagram

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RECENT POSTS

Pea-Kaboo!


Pea-Kaboo!

#ButtshotAvoidanceTechniques




––––
If you've made it this far, please know that there is NO such photography theme as #SeagullButtSaturday. The following people, sometimes posting to the #FunniestNonthemeOnGplus, are actually the #FunniestNonCuratorsOnGplus.

Robin Griggs Wood Ursula Klepper Christin McLeod Sassi Sassmannshausen Lauri Novak Richard Ball Craig Szymanski Melissa Beagle Ellie Kennard Cora Triton Steve Savoie Pam Wolfe +Joy Mum Jon Cassill Tom McGowan Annie Irving Diana Boyd Debby Moran Alex Lapidus Lou McCorkle ***** Kimmetal Smith Bette Kauffman Liz C Jacqueline Hodsdon Darion Jackman Steven Kennard Sharon Stone Dawn Siadatan Sumit Sen Jasbir S. Randhawa Gazzaroonii T. John Wade Dave Bell Swee Oh Leo Deegan Nancy Battis Vita Patrick Kelly Marilyn Benham Mari Luukkonen Lora Lee Chapman Giselle Savoie Carin Bruce David Q. Cohen Gernot Glaeser Maureen Roberson Brian Grzelewski cobalt please Darcee McCutcheon Annelies Jansen Rachel Ferris Margaret Tompkins Jan Vermeulen Christi Nielsen Jaana Nyström

Real themes:
#birds4all curated by Walter Soestbergen Ricky L Jones & Birds4All
#birdloversandwildlife curated by Robert SKREINER  BIRD Lovers & WILDLIFE
#birdsgallery  with thanks to Heinrich Wagner


Must-have hashtags (for hackling the hashtag-haters … ;o))
#SeagullButtSaturday (duh!)
#SeagullButtShots
#SeagullButts
#notatheme
#SeagullButtsInDisguise (for other birds; a fine way to use up all those bird shots you took that are "not quite what you were shooting for" and currently languishing on your hard drive.)
#Gulluminati (what the group of non-curators have come to be known as)
#FunniestNonthemeOnGplus (because, isn't it?! … ;oD)
#Splatterday (Jasbir's invention, applicable for, ahem, some conditional shots … ;o7)

#rgwoodpost #Gulluminati #Gullarazzi #FunniestNonthemeOnGplus
#googleplusphotos #hqspbirds #btpbirdpro BTP Bird Pro  #birdsgallery #hqsplandscape
My G+ albums: https://sites.google.com/site/rgwphotoalbums/

A Little Bokeh Fairytale


A Little Bokeh Fairytale

Once upon a time there were two small specks, that lived out in the Dark, Empty Corners of the World. They were such sad and lonely little specks.

Over in the spacious Rest of the World, the Creative One enjoyed her fun, playing with the light that she gathered in her magic black box, but she wished for someone to share her joy of the light with.

One day, playing as usual under her favorite tree, she heard a small whimper coming from one of the Dark, Empty Corners of the World. She pointed her magic black box in the direction of the sound to shine the light and try to see who it was coming from.

The little specks saw the light created by the magic black box and, it was so beautiful and delicious looking, they started gobbling it up as quickly as they could. The more they ate, the more they grew. They grew and grew and grew and grew!

They grew so big, in fact, that they started to grow together. They could see and touch each other! They had friends! They weren’t the only ones out there! For, they could now see that there were many, many others like them––all gobbling up the delicious light from the magic black box.

The Creative One smiled with pleasure that she had others to share her joy and fun of light with!

And the Bokeh family lived happily ever after.

The Beginning


#FridaysAreBokehlicious   :o) … ˚ºoOoº˚
With a nod and grin to those sundry #bokehlicious #bokeholics (that may rival the non-curator list of a certain non-theme! … ;o7), Leo Deegan Paul Moody Art through the Aperture Photography Nicole H John Balboni Kal Pant Dave Besbris Wendy Chase Wesly Smith Angie Smith Elizabeth Hahn Michael B. Stuart Dylan Johnson Shelly Gunderson Shannon Adelson Graham Knights Sean McLean and, erm, me!

#rgwoodpost #photography #googleplusphotos #Friday #TGIF #naturephotography

Friend or Foe? ... or food?!


Friend or Foe? ... or food?!

This baby tiger didn't quite know what to make of the crayfish wandering around at the bottom of his pond. It was so funny to watch 7-month-old Suka react to this little critter; going in and out of the water and snarling at it, but not approaching it too closely. He is so much larger than the crayfish, it made me wonder if he got nipped once by its front pincer to cause his hostility and trepidation.

*Depiction of the actual event, as I had to shoot several frames to get all the elements in focus for this final image.

#SafariPark   #fiercekitteh

Hanging out in real life with Jenny Loren Sassi Sassmannshausen and Paula Contreres ( Art through the Aperture Photography)

#rgwoodpost #photography #googleplusphotos #BTPAnimalPRO BTP Animal Pro  #HQSPAnimals #catsallovertheworld #caturdayeveryday #caturday   #catsbigandsmallthebest #babytiger #tiger   #wildlifewednesday   #threatenedthursday

”Hey, weren’t there like 20 more of our pals here just a moment ago?!!“


”Hey, weren’t there like 20 more of our pals here just a moment ago?!!“
They thought it was paradise. They flocked to it in … um, well … flocks. Not a human being in sight. It was all theirs!!

Until the day the typically unobservant #seagullbutts realized why the humans called this place ”Grand Caiman Island”. (View large, if the reason for that isn't quite apparent in the thumbnail here .... ;o))




––––
If you've made it this far, please know that there is NO such photography theme as #SeagullButtSaturday . The following people, sometimes posting to the #FunniestNonthemeOnGplus , are actually the #FunniestNonCuratorsOnGplus .

Robin Griggs Wood Ursula Klepper Christin McLeod Sassi Sassmannshausen Lauri Novak Richard Ball Craig Szymanski Melissa Beagle Ellie Kennard Cora Triton Steve Savoie Pam Wolfe +Joy Mum Jon Cassill Tom McGowan Annie Irving Diana Boyd Debby Moran Alex Lapidus Lou McCorkle Rob Lopes Kimmetal Smith Bette Kauffman Liz C Jacqueline Hodsdon Darion Jackman Steven Kennard Sharon Stone Dawn Siadatan Sumit Sen Jasbir S. Randhawa Gazzaroonii T. John Wade Dave Bell Swee Oh Leo Deegan Nancy Battis Vita Patrick Kelly Marilyn Benham Mari Luukkonen Lora Lee Chapman Giselle Savoie Carin Bruce David Q. Cohen Gernot Glaeser Maureen Roberson Brian Grzelewski cobalt please Darcee McCutcheon Annelies Jansen Rachel Ferris Margaret Tompkins Jan Vermeulen Christi Nielsen Jaana Nyström


#LandscapePhotography with thanks to Margaret Tompkins  Dave Gaylord  Eric Drumm and Landscape Photography

Must-have hashtags (for hackling the hashtag-haters … ;o))
#SeagullButtSaturday (duh!)
#SeagullButtShots
#SeagullButts
#notatheme
#SeagullButtsInDisguise (for other birds; a fine way to use up all those bird shots you took that are "not quite what you were shooting for" and currently languishing on your hard drive.)
#Gulluminati (what the group of non-curators have come to be known as)
#FunniestNonthemeOnGplus (because, isn't it?! … ;oD)
#Splatterday (Jasbir's invention, applicable for, ahem, some conditional shots … ;o7)

#rgwoodpost #Gulluminati #Gullarazzi #FunniestNonthemeOnGplus
#googleplusphotos  #SunsetSaturday   #hqsplandscape
My G+ albums: https://sites.google.com/site/rgwphotoalbums/ or https://plus.google.com/photos/103698889037599783920/albums

Earth Day 2016 - My planet. My part.


Earth Day 2016 - My planet. My part.
I love my home.
So often we feel that the idea of trying to change the circumstances of our world is too overwhelming. What can one person do, really?! Take some time to find the beauty in your own neighborhood. It’s a fact that the more we appreciate something, the more we want to take care of it. No one who destroys their environment is really lazy or disinterested in caring for it; they only need to learn to love it more. If you want to help the Earth, start locally. Help others to cultivate their gratitude for what they have to amplify their desire to keep it from harm.

We are a group of members of Google+ Create, a Google program for recognizing creative users of Google+. This year we are celebrating Earth Day with this small, symbolic art project with the theme: Earth Day 2016 - My planet. My part. #CreateCommunityEarthDay

#EarthDay #rgwoodpost #photography #googleplusphotos #LandscapePhotography #hqsplandscape #BTPLandscapePro #California #Sky

Up Above the World So High


Up Above the World So High
... like a raptor in the sky.

I snapped this fellow during my balloon ride above Safari Park (https://plus.google.com/+RobinGriggsWood/posts/7LVbDHgzisW). He was soaring along with us (maybe he likes balloons ... or maybe he wanted to attack us ... ;o)).

It was nice to have the opportunity to shoot at eye level to their flight, and see the top of the bird instead ... ;o)). Just a #RaptorButtSaturday  click for #SeagullButtsInDisguise . I mean, if you were a seagull, wouldn't you want to wear a raptor costume?! ... ;oD

Actually, while I was rather close to the bird up there, I didn't get close enough to ask it if it was a raptor or not. All my research says it is most likely, Cathartes Aura, a relative of the Condor.

––––
If you've made it this far, please know that there is NO such photography theme as #SeagullButtSaturday. The following people, sometimes posting to the #FunniestNonthemeOnGplus, are actually the #FunniestNonCuratorsOnGplus.

Robin Griggs Wood Ursula Klepper Christin McLeod Sassi Sassmannshausen Lauri Novak Richard Ball Craig Szymanski Melissa Beagle Ellie Kennard Cora Triton Steve Savoie Pam Wolfe +Joy Mum Jon Cassill Tom McGowan Annie Irving Diana Boyd Debby Moran Alex Lapidus Lou McCorkle Rob Lopes Kimmetal Smith Bette Kauffman Liz C Jacqueline Hodsdon Darion Jackman Steven Kennard Sharon Stone Dawn Siadatan Sumit Sen Jasbir S. Randhawa Gazzaroonii T. John Wade Dave Bell Swee Oh Leo Deegan Nancy Battis Vita Patrick Kelly Marilyn Benham Mari Luukkonen Lora Lee Chapman Giselle Savoie Carin Bruce David Q. Cohen Gernot Glaeser Maureen Roberson Brian Grzelewski cobalt please Darcee McCutcheon Annelies Jansen Rachel Ferris Margaret Tompkins Jan Vermeulen Christi Nielsen Jaana Nyström

Real themes:
#birds4all curated by Walter Soestbergen Ricky L Jones & Birds4All
#birdloversandwildlife curated by Robert SKREINER  BIRD Lovers & WILDLIFE
#birdsgallery  with thanks to Heinrich Wagner


Must-have hashtags (for hackling the hashtag-haters … ;o))
#SeagullButtSaturday (duh!)
#SeagullButtShots
#SeagullButts
#notatheme
#SeagullButtsInDisguise (for other birds; a fine way to use up all those bird shots you took that are "not quite what you were shooting for" and currently languishing on your hard drive.)
#Gulluminati (what the group of non-curators have come to be known as)
#FunniestNonthemeOnGplus (because, isn't it?! … ;oD)
#Splatterday (Jasbir's invention, applicable for, ahem, some conditional shots … ;o7)

#rgwoodpost #Gulluminati #Gullarazzi #FunniestNonthemeOnGplus
#googleplusphotos #hqspbirds #btpbirdpro #birdsgallery

My G+ albums: https://sites.google.com/site/rgwphotoalbums/

It was inevitable ...


It was inevitable ...




... total fake! ...  just having a little fun with Leo Deegan, Elizabeth Hahn, Lauri Novak and Dave Bell ... thanks for contributing to my grins this morning, my friends ... :o)))

Leo Deegan ... I think the Google spam-killers have gone crazy-mad withpower and are out of control ... ;o7.


Leo Deegan ... I think the Google spam-killers have gone crazy-mad with power and are out of control ... ;o7.

While I have the screenshot up, if you have the ear of one of the UI developers, there's this phrase at the top that says "Only you can see comments that were removed as spam." ... only, we can't see them here ... unless "you" is 15 and doesn't require a prescription to improve visual capabilities ... ;oD. They are the palest of gray and crossed out! How are we supposed to see them?! I had to click on your profile pic just to make sure it was actually you that Google had singled out in their war against spam... ;o)))

400 feet in a balloon above San Diego's Safari Park. This is a 26-imagestitch of the largest portion of the park.


400 feet in a balloon above San Diego's Safari Park. This is a 26-image stitch of the largest portion of the park.

We had a beautiful day, hanging out with Jenny Loren, Sassi Sassmannshausen and Paula Contreres (Art through the Aperture Photography).

#LandscapePhotography with thanks to Margaret Tompkins Tony Phillips Dave Gaylord Doug Hagadorn Eric Drumm and Landscape Photography

#rgwoodpost #photography #googleplusphotos #hqsplandscape #BTPLandscapePro #California #SkyPhotography #Travel #TravelPhotography #Sky

Enjoy Spring


Enjoy Spring

Go ahead, give it a big, fat kiss ... ;o))

For those in the lower hemisphere, Fall is rather kiss-worthy, too ... ;o)


#rgwoodpost #photography #googleplusphotos   #BTPAnimalPRO   #HQSPAnimals #WildlifeWednesday #giraffe #wildlifewednesday #animalphotography #animals #animallovers

Jewel of Denial


Jewel of Denial

Sorry, little one; no matter how much you argue, you will always be a #seagullbuttindisguise  to the #Gullarazzi .

––––
If you've made it this far, please know that there is NO such photography theme as #SeagullButtSaturday . The following people, sometimes posting to the #FunniestNonthemeOnGplus , are actually the #FunniestNonCuratorsOnGplus .

Robin Griggs Wood Ursula Klepper Christin McLeod Sassi Sassmannshausen Lauri Novak Richard Ball Craig Szymanski Melissa Beagle Ellie Kennard Cora Triton Steve Savoie Pam Wolfe +Joy Mum Jon Cassill Tom McGowan Annie Irving Diana Boyd Debby Moran Alex Lapidus Lou McCorkle Rob Lopes Kimmetal Smith Bette Kauffman Liz C Jacqueline Hodsdon Darion Jackman Steven Kennard Sharon Stone Dawn Siadatan Sumit Sen Jasbir S. Randhawa Gazzaroonii T. John Wade Dave Bell Swee Oh Leo Deegan Nancy Battis Vita Patrick Kelly Marilyn Benham Mari Luukkonen Lora Lee Chapman Giselle Savoie Carin Bruce David Q. Cohen Gernot Glaeser Maureen Roberson Brian Grzelewski cobalt please Darcee McCutcheon Annelies Jansen Rachel Ferris Margaret Tompkins Jan Vermeulen Christi Nielsen Jaana Nyström

Real themes:
#birds4all curated by Walter Soestbergen Ricky L Jones & Birds4All
#birdloversandwildlife curated by Robert SKREINER  BIRD Lovers & WILDLIFE
#birdsgallery  with thanks to Heinrich Wagner


Must-have hashtags (for hackling the hashtag-haters … ;o))
#SeagullButtSaturday (duh!)
#SeagullButtShots
#SeagullButts
#notatheme
#SeagullButtsInDisguise (for other birds; a fine way to use up all those bird shots you took that are "not quite what you were shooting for" and currently languishing on your hard drive.)
#Gulluminati (what the group of non-curators have come to be known as)
#FunniestNonthemeOnGplus (because, isn't it?! … ;oD)
#Splatterday (Jasbir's invention, applicable for, ahem, some conditional shots … ;o7)

#rgwoodpost #Gulluminati #Gullarazzi #FunniestNonthemeOnGplus
#googleplusphotos #hqspbirds #btpbirdpro #birdsgallery #hqsplandscape
My G+ albums: https://sites.google.com/site/rgwphotoalbums/

Family Ties


Family Ties

I'm wondering if this is the growing-up baby from your exquisite shot, Laurie Rubin (https://plus.google.com/+laurierubin/posts/JrSg581fTvE)?

Hanging out in real life with Jenny Loren Sassi Sassmannshausen and Paula Contreres ( Art through the Aperture Photography)





#rgwoodpost #photography #googleplusphotos   #BTPAnimalPRO   #HQSPAnimals #ElephantWednesday #elephant #elephants #wildlifewednesday #animalphotography   #babyanimals #animals #animallovers

Trust


Trust

A skill we were all born with.


Hanging out in real life with Jenny Loren Sassi Sassmannshausen and Paula Contreres ( Art through the Aperture Photography)





#rgwoodpost #photography #googleplusphotos #BTPAnimalPRO #HQSPAnimals #catsallovertheworld #caturdayeveryday #caturday  #catsbigandsmallthebest