The answer to whether you are walking or wandering often changes from season to season – life is fickle in that way. We asked some of the folks we most admire to reflect on whether they feel like they are walking or wandering and have shared some of their responses below.

Olga Ten

Right now, I’d say I’m definitely wandering. For most of my life I followed a very clear path, always focused on goals, targets, and trying to control outcomes. Allowing myself to wander was a big shift—and honestly not an easy one. But that’s when the magic started to happen. Letting go of outcomes opened up space for unexpected opportunities, and paradoxically, that’s exactly when my business began to grow and take off in a completely new and exhilarating direction. Read More>>

Erin Slutsky

After spending much of my life chasing the “right” path—the best way to live, achieve, and succeed—I expected fulfillment would be waiting for me at the end. Instead, I found myself exhausted, striving, and trying to control every outcome, only to feel miserable.
Midlife has shifted everything. I’ve chosen to step off the rigid path and allow myself to wander instead. I’m learning to trust my gut, release the pressure, and let life come to me rather than forcing it. My word of the year is Effortless, and embracing it has given me something I never found in all that striving: peace, joy, and genuine satisfaction. Read More>>

Keon Atwater

This is such a powerful question! I feel as if I was wandering for so long in my adulthood but something about recently turning 30 has knocked a sense of reassurance into me. I am so sure of the path that I am not only walking but creating, step by step. I use to operate in fear and question each creative decision I would make but that changed recently. When I started “The Artist Way” by Julia Cameron (per recommendation via a YouTube video Doechii posted years ago), it really opened up my perception even more when it comes to our divine gifts. Read More>>

Harley Wallen

I’m always trying to do both with the focus being on the path so I have direction, but I try and never let go of being curious and interested in things, I think it can be crucial and invigorating to stumble on things and people who you might have never met and do things you might have never done if you don’t wander a little bit. It also helps you as a story teller and adds perspective and a new angle at things. Read More>>

J de laVega

To be honest, I’m wandering more than ever. As I turn the corner to forty I feel more like “myself” and am exploring what that means to me. My children are 9 and 19 and very independent, so the “mommying” phase has come to a close and they need me in new ways; ways that leave me with more time on my hands. It’s sad, but I’m enjoying watching them grow into these beautiful humans. I’m leaning into my neighbors and community more. Read More>>

Zack Jurasek

I’m walking a path I built with my own hands.
But it didn’t exist until I carved it out of rock and lit it with my own fire.

See, most people think paths are pre-made, you pick one and follow it. But that’s not how it played out for me. I didn’t follow a trail. I fell through the cracks of the world people warned me about, and I found myself underground. Sometimes you just have to cut off from the noise of the world and BUILD. Read More>>

Laurel Taylor

I find myself in a very different phase of life since we last talked. I call this version of myself “adventure Laurel” because I have to be flexible right now instead of relying on the rigid planner that I normally am. I would never describe myself as someone who goes with the flow, but right now, I have to be or else I may find myself slowly slipping into insanity. Read More>>

ginnie cappaert

I have definitely been walking a path in regards to life and my art career which seem to mesh together and are inseparable. Yet wandering is something I like to do to and consider ‘the path’ that I have been on has contained many ‘wanders off the path.’ That’s life. Read More>>

Darin Patterson

I believe it is a little of both. I see my life set out on a path before me. But like any good path or trail, there are many twists, turns and switchbacks [haha] where you cannot always see the destination. And there’s even side trails, paths to unknown destinations. This allows me opportunity to wander, to change my path temporarily or permanently. I enjoy the unknown parts of the path I am on, sometimes it leads to the unexpected joys life is meant to have. Read More>>

Okoyè Stephens

I think I’m doing a bit of both. Some days the path feels solid beneath me… steady, sure, like each step was already spoken into place. Other days, the air feels weightless, and I can’t tell if I’m drifting or being carried. But even in the wandering, there’s a quiet rhythm… something greater holding me up when I can’t hold myself. Whether I’m walking or floating, I trust I’m being led. Not always with clarity, but always with grace. Read More>>

Benji Paysnoe

I am walking a path I set up a decade ago – but am never afraid to wander off the road and start paving a new way forward! A foundational aspect to art is the expression of self – a manifestation of our deepest thoughts and feelings through sound, visuals, physical, and mental experiences. But a core concept of self is that, while we hold true to our core elements, we are always changing. Never be afraid to say yes to an open door, or step into an opportunity that’s new to you! Read More>>

Rod Lara

Am I walking or path or wandering through it? That’s a very interesting question.

We all have a purpose in life, and a path and timeline to fulfill. It’s like a footprint you leave behind lasting longer than your physical self.

Many years ago, I had the realization of what my path was. It was a revelation. As an actor and mime artist, is to leave a legacy behind. A piece of my work for someone to enjoy. Even if that piece of work ends up been a 9 second clip for someone to enjoy, then I’m happy. Read More>>

TopRankJuice

I’m definitely walking a path. My journey isn’t random—it’s intentional. I’ve built “TopRANKofhumanleadership” around discipline, moving with purpose, and leading by example. Whether it’s mentally , spiritually , or physically, every step I take is guided by a bigger vision. I’m not just moving—I’m moving forward, evolving, and pulling others up with me. There may be moments of uncertainty, but even then, I trust the direction because I know the mission. Read More>>

Dr. Shenetta Malkia-Sapp

“I’d say I’m walking a path, but I intentionally leave room to wonder and explore along the way. I have clear goals and direction, but I also value curiosity and growth. Exploring new areas—even unexpected ones—often leads to valuable insights and skills that strengthen the journey I’m on. So while my path is purposeful, it’s also flexible enough to allow for discovery.” Read More>>

Santi Ruggeri

I am certainly wandering down a path. Though I have a general idea of where I’m going, I have no idea whatsoever how to get there.

This past year has been dedicated to finding the answer to what it means for me to be an artist. What do I want to create? Why do I even create in the first place? What does success in art look like to me? These burning questions are essentially lighthouses on the coast of a vast and ever-rocking sea. All the while, I’m in a small, slowly sinking dinghy boat doing my best to avoid the jagged rocks underneath the crashing waves. Read More>>