Many photographers are lone wolves. Not in the hunter gatherer kind of way but in the sense that they work alone and contact with the outside "photographic" world can be limited. However we are in a creative industry and so to keep the creative juices flowing you need to go beyond your doorstep to appreciate and develop as an Artist/Photographer. The great thing about the internet is you can share information, ideas and opinions with fellow photographers easily. Joining the DWF gives you a forum where fellow professionals can be open and frank about the issues that they have been having. Sometimes it's nice to be reminded you're not alone. Letting other things influence and inspire you can make a world of difference, not only to your work but you as a person. Look at art in your local galleries, go to the library and read, develop a style that is yours then build on it. Never allow yourself to become a closed book. Refresh yourself everyday with people and things that spark your creative mind. Some of my influences include Peter Jackson, CSN,  my father (he was a musician,builder, jeweler, bone carver, boat builder), Michelangelo and most artists from the Renaissance period. Anyway be it art, music, books, people -  let those things in to inspire your daily life. Cheers, Pete.