January means birthday month for Another Passion, and in 2012 we turn 3! If you have been reading along for a while, you may also know that the third year is the do-or-die year. I will get to that in a moment. There is also a reader survey at the end of this post! First though, a quick look back at 2011.

It was a year of chaos for me, personally. I won’t bore you with the details, except to say that a severe medical issue, and the loss of my mother, put quite a toll on my household, keeping me from putting as much time and effort into the site as I would have liked. But that’s not to say that 2011 was a bad year for Another Passion. Quite the opposite, in fact.

2011 was the year I added the first staff writer to the site! Lillian Cohen-Moore has written several pieces about everything from surviving conventions to interviews with creative professionals. I’m extremely thankful for having her on board, and I hope to add another 3-4 writers before the end of 2012.

Last year, I also opened the door for Another Passion memberships. A handful of faithful supporters signed up immediately, though there to this day is very little exclusive members-only content. This is also an area, I want to give a lot more love and attention to in this third year.

One of the most important lessons of 2011 was as mentioned, that running the show singlehandedly is a dangerous thing to do. When my Life was thrown for a loop, I suddenly had little time for anything but the essentials, much less growing and nurturing Another Passion. This is why I started looking for an assistant editor as well, someone to help with the growing and nurturing bit.

All of this is not to distance myself from Another Passion, but to free up time to create even better content, and to provide you with more of it on a regular basis. In the coming weeks, I will be publishing a series of videos under the name Focus: Seattle Poets (see the introduction posted earlier). This is the kind of content I would like to do more of, but it requires a lot more time and planning than your average interview article.

In other words, Another Passion is at a cross road. According to my original plan, if after three years, I am still pouring time and money into it without seeing some of it come back, I need to start looking at alternatives. My original plan was to shut the site down, if it did not live up to my own ambitions by the end of year three. That is not going to happen. Another Passion is simply too much fun to produce, so I will stick with it until it either takes off or puts me at the edge of ruin.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone who follows the site, shares the articles on social networks, comments and sends me feedback. Especially the members and contributors, who helped Another Passion survive last year, and whose support will carry us higher and further still, in 2012.

If you’d like to get just a little involved, please take a minute to fill out our reader survey below.

Similar stories:

1. Another Passion’s First Year This is the last post in 2010, the first year...
2. Checkpoints for the Future In spite of having a fantastic time working on Another...
3. Another Passion 2nd Print Edition After the first six months of last year, I put...

If you follow me or Another Passion on Twitter, you may have picked up that a video project is in the works. If not, well now you know. Focus: Seattle Poets is a series of short videos, each featuring one local artist performing one of his or her pieces. Each clip will be released on Another Passion and depending on how it’s received, the series may pave the way for more. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

I chose poetry for this series, not because I am huge poetry aficionado, though I do think it is an underrepresented artform in general, and that video is a fantastic medium for facilitating the connection between artist, material and recipient. And that connection is what I am really looking for. What I like about poetry as an artform is its purity, which inspired me to make the videos black and white.

The series is currently in pre-production, but if all goes well the first videos should appear in January. Each video will be about 3 minutes in length, depending on the piece performed. The talent has been cast primarily from the Seattle poetry slam scene, with the help of Dane Kuttler (a former Another Passion interviewee). Later this week, we are moving out of pre-production and shooting the entire series. After that is editing and post processing, which should keep me plenty busy over the holidays. And then it will be released upon the world!

This is the first original series from Another Passion, which of course adds to the excitement. As mentioned above, if it becomes a success there might be more “Focus:” videos. And by success, I mean that the results are as good as or better than the vision I have in my head – weighed against how much time and effort went into producing the videos. Focus: Seattle Poets is a small production, and yet about a dozen people are involved in making it happen — all volunteering their time. Though the budget is minimal, there are still some expenses involved, but I consider that an investment in production value.

The videos themselves will be published on YouTube at a rate of one a week, the same time they are published here. For our members, the videos will also be available as digital downloads. To get sneak previews and updates as they happen, be sure to check Another Passion on Facebook.

Similar stories:

1. Dane Kuttler Hardworking Poet It was Dane Kuttler who suggested we meet at the...
2. Greg Young’s Live Pictures Greg Young is an executive producer and director at University...
3. Passion and Opportunity Are you and your passion going in the same direction?...

If you’re wondering what’s going on with Another Passion, I have good news. I’m working behind the scenes to make Another Passion a better experience with more content than ever before. In other words, I have begun courting a few talented locals hoping to turn them into contributing writers.

Another Passion started as an extension of my portfolio as a photographer and writer, to show some of my work while also producing content that’s hopefully useful and inspiring to others. The time has come for it to grow into something more than that, and become an entity in its own right.

With the loss of my mother and throwing myself into learning more about video, I haven’t had time to produce as much as I wanted. At the same time, I’ve been aching to put out more quality content. Quality being the keyword. I’d rather not publish than put out garbage.

So to take it to the next level, I’ve reached out to some pontential contributors. For now, I have only asked a handful of awesome individuals to think about writing a post or three. But if they like it, and you like it, then hopefully they will write another post or three.

The people I have contacted are all creative, smart and great communicators, and I’m not just saying that to butter them up and make them feel good about themselves (although there’s no harm in that either). If you were not one of the people I contacted and wish that you were, you should drop me note.

Similar stories:

1. Passion and Opportunity Are you and your passion going in the same direction?...

This is the last post in 2010, the first year of operation for Another Passion, and what a year it has been. The variety of amazingly talented people, kind enough to share an insight into their passion has blown me away. Reader comments, emails and support have proven to me, that launching Another Passion was a good idea, and that there are many others like me, who find inspiration in hearing other people’s stories and exploring different ways to be creative.

I had to take a break from producing AP in the last two months of the year, because my mother was diagnosed with cancer, and focus had to shift to my family. I ended up going back to Copenhagen for a while, and keeping up work on the site in the meantime, from across the world, was just not realistic.

That said, publishing AP has evolved from a project made to showcase my photography and let me meet interesting and inspiring people, into a passion in its own right. If it were possible, I would do this full time. I have a lot of ideas on how to expand the basic blog, but producing fresh content will remain my priority. I have fallen in love with writing and publishing AP and long ago decided to give it three years to grow into something more than just a website. And I’m super excited about where things are heading after year one.

I am happy to report, that I will pass Checkpoint 2.

The first 12 interviews were published in print, and enough people bought a copy that a second issue is in the works, featuring the interviews from the second half of 2010. More on that in January. For now, a huge thank you again to interviewees, supporters and friends for helping to make the first year an amazing one. I am thrilled to see what 2011 has in store for Another Passion, thanks to you.

The photo above is a view of Copenhagen, shot just before I sat down to write this post. Happy new year from Denmark.

Similar stories:

1. Checkpoints for the Future In spite of having a fantastic time working on Another...
2. Passion and Opportunity Are you and your passion going in the same direction?...
3. Questing for Passion What do you do if you are a creative person,...

As Farnsworth would say: Good news, everyone! Another Passion recently partnered up with Puget Hound – a Seattle based community site, owned and operated by Fox/Tribune. Puget Hound is a collection of local blogs from the Seattle area, handpicked to showcase the best of the region. Together, the syndicated blogs cover everything from food and green living to dating and passion-driven lifestyle (that would be me).

As if that wasn’t exciting enough, there is more big news. The first ever printed edition of Another Passion is now available! 12 interviews from the first 6 months of operation, put together in one sweet 78-page magazine. There are no ads, just pages of inspiration and passion overdrive, paired of course with the portrait photograps by yours truly.

Puget Hound is still in beta and big changes are coming to the site in the next few months. You can follow it all via Facebook or Twitter, if you want to stay in the loop on fresh blogs being added and other new features. If you live in the Pacific Northwest and you’re reading through either RSS or anotherpassion.com, I highly recommend checking out these other local bloggers too.

I still own all the content I publish and make my own decisions on whom and what to feature on Another Passion, and being part of Puget Hound will absolutely expand the circle of readers, the range of new interviewees and sources of inspiration. This is where I take a moment to thank all of the few but faithful readers who have been with me from the start, because with all of this stuff happening, it does feel like Another Passion is taking a huge step forward – and I wouldn’t have gotten to this point without your support.

On that note, if you want to support Another Passion, don’t forget that I have a contact form you can use, if you or someone you represent would like to be considered for an feature on the site. General comments and suggestions for interviewees you would like to see are also appreciated. Or you can buy a copy of the printed edition.

I am super excited that all of this has happened within the first year of operation. It really has gone beyond my own expectations in a very good way, and I am constantly looking to do more with it.

Similar stories:

1. Hard Work and Kindness “Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were...
2. 10 Inspiring Blogs for Creatives Another Passion is a young site, and I realize that...

In spite of having a fantastic time working on Another Passion, and seeing better results than expected, there is still an overall plan behind the madness. A grander scheme, if you will. This includes ongoing evaluation of the project as a whole. I would like to share with you the past, present and future, in the form of 3 checkpoints I set up for Another Passion and a hint of things to come.

The site launched officially in January 2010, the premiere interview literally went live on January 1st. Checkpoint 1 was 6 months later, and the criteria for success simply: if I like doing it and see potential for growth, continue to Checkpoint 2. Otherwise, shut it down and move on.

We’re now in August, which means that Checkpoint 1 came and went. I blew right past it. Creating Another Passion is a lot more work than I thought it would be, and I’ve spent more on bus tickets to go meet interviewees, than I have made from creating Another Passion at this point – but it has been worth it! Not just because of the personal satisfaction, which is surprisingly strong, but my network also exploded with new, highly talented contacts. I’m starting to see the effects of that in terms of referrals – both as traffic to the site, new interviewees and other opportunities.

The second part of Checkpoint 1 was whether I see potential for growth. The answer is yes. Every month is better than the last, so far. I’ve seen an increase on all fronts, from site visitors to interview requests, facebook fans and comments. Buh-bye, Checkpoint 1.

Checkpoint 2 is at the 1-year mark. This is a crucial point for me, because this is where I start looking at Another Passion as a business, in the sense that I have to look for ways to justify the time and effort financially. After 1 year, I would like to see some income from the site, whether it’s through the store, photography work or other related sources. I have several things underway to help me get there, like the printed edition of the first 6 months of interviews (I’m 80% finished putting that together at the moment of writing this). Besides the financial aspect, it still also has to be fun and have growth potential.

Checkpoint 3 is at the 3-year mark. I feel that a business should be profitable after 3 years, and so it shall be with Another Passion. After 3 years of pouring this kind of time and energy into the project, I want to start seeing not just income, but actual profit that can be traced back to the site. By profit, I mean an average income that exceeds expenses and time spent – and still with fun and growth potential.

The last thing needed to pass Checkpoint 3 is a plan for the future. I have not planned the project any further out than this. As the project evolves naturally, new goals and opportunities will present themselves, and I want room in my planning to accommodate that. New developments are already underway to help take Another Passion to the next level. It involves a partnership with another, locally focused site, which I am very excited about. Expect more on that in the not-too-distant future.

The photo for this post was taken by Kelly Cline.

Similar stories:

1. Passion and Opportunity Are you and your passion going in the same direction?...
2. Questing for Passion What do you do if you are a creative person,...
3. 10 Inspiring Blogs for Creatives Another Passion is a young site, and I realize that...

What do you do if you are a creative person, but you don’t know what your passion is? This question came to me from Jenipher. I replied briefly: keep looking and trying things, but I also got inspired to write something a little more detailed.

For me, the answer was to analyze and combine interests. Most creative people have more than one outlet – a combination of skills. I’m no scientist, but I’m not grabbing this out of thin air either. I look at myself and my wife both, and that’s pretty much the recipe for how we did it. In my own case, I took writing, photography, making music and playing with video and asked, what do my interests have in common? That question took a few years to answer, even if it now seems quite simple: they all are ways of telling a story.

But where do I go from there? This is the passion bit where everything magically comes together, the lightbulb goes off and there’s a little ding-sound.

Passion is a state of mind. The word itself can be interpreted in a number of ways but I choose Merriam-Webster’s 4.b description of it as an intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction.

Getting there is about creating an inspirational explosion, resulting in a state of passion. Telltale signs that this state has been reached include lots of ideas, heart palpitations, sweaty palms and giddy behavior. Combine the things you love doing in new ways, suck up fresh knowledge and weed out elements that don’t play well with others. Repeat until a pattern begins to form, then re-focus. Hard work and failure is part of this process. You might need many failed experiments to find the right combination.

I ended up focusing mostly on a mix of writing and photography to create Another Passion. That doesn’t mean that I’ve lost all interest in video and music, or that I don’t have projects outside the realm of Another Passion, just that those take a back seat to the main attraction.

Finding a passion, as in something that lights the fire inside you, won’t necessarily make you rich or get you laid – but it will make your work focused, of higher quality and easier to finish.

Similar stories:

1. The Ultimate Idea Development Tool How much time have you spent researching, downloading and trying...
2. Passion and Opportunity Are you and your passion going in the same direction?...
3. Are You a Storyteller? Storytelling is power. When you tell a good story the...

Are you and your passion going in the same direction? Is it taking you where you want to be?

My passion happens to be telling stories. It began with writing, but after I had my first novel published and realized that making a living that way would be challenging to say the least, I added photography to my repertoire. Through my work as an “image inspector” (photo editor) for iStockphoto, I learned a lot about the particular sub-genre of commercial photography known as stock. I began recognizing common problems and areas where my knowledge could help others, so I wrote a series of articles under the common title: The Microstock Photographer’s Guide.

Soon after publishing the articles, I was getting e-mails with questions from photographers all over the world. The articles became fairly popular, so I turned them into an eBook. Embracing the demand, I even offered individual portfolio consultation to help photographers increase sales and find a niche. But I never really wanted to be a photography writer per se. I love both writing and photography, but this particular combination was taking me in a direction different from where I wanted to go.

Another Passion is also a combination of writing and photography. To me, this combo makes the site special. It’s not just interviews and articles – it’s also original photography shot specifically for the writing. This probably means more to me than the average reader, but I think it adds a personal touch to the site.

I get to be writer, photographer and editor all in one, showcasing what I do in a way that excites me. And not purely for narcissistic reasons either.

From a business perspective it is important because when life brings you opportunity, it builds on what you have already achieved. Opportunity never comes knocking without an invitation. I had many doors open to me because of The Microstock Photographer’s Guide and made good friends and useful contacts in the process. If my dream was to become a photography guru, I would have had a good starting point for sure. On Another Passion I am entering a different arena, expanding my tribe and opening the door to a new realm of opportunity.

Before, I shared my acquired knowledge about stock photography through my passion for writing. Now focus is on storytelling and I use photos and words as elements to combine. The difference may seem trivial or technical to most, but it makes a world of difference to me. Passion-driven life is not just about working with the things you love, but also a quest to find the right way of doing that work — and doing it really well in a way that not only makes you happy, but also propels you in the direction you want to go. After all, in any creative line of work, you’re only as good as what you create.

Similar stories:

1. Follow Your Heart Recklessly After I moved to the US in 2005, several people...
2. Working From the Non-Home Office What do you do to reduce work-related stress? How do...
3. 5 Ways to Get Inspired Inspiration is a strange and wonderful thing. As creatives, we...

As Another Passion gets closer to actual launch, stress is on the rise and pieces of the puzzle begin falling into place. Besides the site itself, there’s the content as well as those countless other details, that maybe aren’t crucial but nice to have nonetheless. On the social media side, we’ve got a twitter account and a youtube channel with more to follow. Such as a photo group based on creative passions, most likely on Flickr or Facebook. Suggestions, recommendations and ideas are still very welcome at this point.

Check out the 1-minute introduction video (above or on youtube). I’ll take you on an afternoon walk around my neighborhood, while I explain what Another Passion is about. I’ve kept it short and sweet, partly as a way to help spread the word about the site. Please feel free to share the video with your friends.

What you haven’t seen yet, is that there is a launch giveaway being planned. It’s too early to reveal how it’s going to go down, but for now just know that goodies will be handed out. If you’re a provider of coolness for creatives and would like to add more goodies to the pile, please get in touch.

Several stories are being prepared as well. With Thanksgiving just over and the holiday season in full swing, getting these finished is definitely the greatest challenge at the moment. Luckily, it’s also the most fun. I am continuously looking for more passionate creatives in the Seattle area, from taxidermists to copywriters. Like I say in the video, if you are one or would like to recommend somebody, I want to know about it.

Send your e-mails to contact [at] anotherpassion [dot] com.

• Dedicated to Creativity.
• Meant to inspire and motivate.
• Meant to help creatives grow.
• Not a news site.
• Not a how-to site.

I love culture, art, science and innovation. As a professional creative, nothing inspires and motivates me more than other passionate, driven people. Often with completely different backgrounds than my own, which happens to be writing and photography. A while back, I quite selfishly started thinking about ways to meet more such people.

Another Passion is what came out of those thoughts, and I am happy to say that sharing is at the core of it. It will eventually grow into a library of interviews and profiles, featuring creatives from every field.

Another Passion is still in its infancy. On January 1st 2010 the first interview will go live.

Questions, suggestions and sage advice can be directed to contact [at] anotherpassion [dot] com. Stay tuned for more updates.

For more about me, check out my photography blog.