Happy holidays!
As we end one of the most remarkable years, I wanted to thank everyone for your support during times that, let’s say, were a little challenging. When I started Rooted in Light Media in 2016, I thought I was well prepared for the obstacles I’d face in launching a business. Enter 2020, and what, no owner’s manual for surviving a global pandemic? What started as a “normal” year, is ending in a dramatic fashion that has surpassed all of my expectations. In the midst of months of uncertainty, I was able to adapt to my clients’ needs and provide media services that will certainly go down in the books as being the most memorable. These projects include
Producing a graduation video presentation for California-based Genesys Works, who, at the last minute, had to move their much anticipated ceremony online.
Filming an oyster restoration project with Ecophotography in New Hampshire’s Great Bay. With oyster sales tanking in spring and summer due to COVID-19, The Nature Conservancy stepped in and bought market oysters from farmers to sustain their businesses. The oysters were then dumped in designated areas in the Great Bay to be used as part of an oyster restoration pilot project that made national news on The Today Show.
Writing a feature story for the 2020/21 winter issue of Mount Washington Vibe Magazine that highlighted lesser-known trails in the White Mountain National Forest to promote social distancing and safe spaces for guests visiting the region.
Writing an episode for Duct Tape Then Beer’s The Dirtbag Diaries Podcast and then recording it on my phone in a makeshift sound booth made out of sofa and chair cushions in my house. (Keep an ear out in January 2021 for a follow-up podcast.)
Co-writing the documentary The Merrimack: River at Risk with Ecophotography and, after many movie theaters and concert halls shut down, launching the film online and partnering with local organizations on virtual screenings and panel discussions.
I chose photos for 2021’s calendar that evoke peace and a sense of calm.
Closing this year out, I created a 2021 calendar to reflect on the beautiful places that have provided me with a sense of calm and peace, including New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest and Virginia’s Blue Ridge Parkway. Without a “Pandemic for Dummies” handbook, I’ve looked to nature even more this year for guidance and solace. In making this calendar, I hope to provide everyone with a little peace and beauty as we head into the new year. If you’re interested in purchasing one, shoot me an email to place an order.
If 2020 has taught me anything, it’s that challenges are opportunities and these opportunities are challenges. Whenever a wall appeared to block the road ahead, my creativity found a way over, around, or under it. Arts and media has a way of pulling us all together to celebrate and honor those around us. I couldn’t agree with that more moving into a new year that’s going to require creativity and resilience to see us through to better days.
Here’s to a safe and healthy new year,
Ryan
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