Are you walking a path—or wandering?

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.

Tabitha Brown

Not all who wander, are lost’ a quote from J.R.R. Tolkien that I have chosen to live by. I consider myself an endless adventurer. Over and over, I have experienced that sometimes life doesn’t care about your ‘plan’. It seems like life reminds us of this when we start taking things too seriously. Read more>>

Colleen Hennessy

I think I am doing both. I have always walked the path of learning in my adult life. I am studying Portuguese and Italian as a daily challenge, as I continue to pursue oil painting and sharing my vision. I have always been energized by travel and photography, always looking forward to what I will see through my lens. Read more>>

Antonio Saucedo Azpe

I like to think I’m walking a path, but I allow myself to wander along the way. The destination might not always have a name, but it exists somewhere within. And even when it feels clear, it doesn’t stop me from exploring and learning. Meeting people, discovering places, and collecting experiences often become the very things that shape the journey. Read more>>

Hannah Valentine

I am both walking a path and wandering. I find this to be the key to success that I has recently come to light. The reason I say this is because it is important to find a path, a subtle guide that can lead you to an overall goal. At least this is what works for me. Read more>>

Andriy Stefanyshyn

It really depends on the moment. Some days feel clear and full of purpose, others feel more like wandering—but I’ve come to realize that both are part of the journey. I’ve been behind the camera for 16 years now, and I’m still as inspired as I was on day one. That passion has never faded. Read more>>

Rebecca Hass

A little of both! As a creative person, it’s essential to have the space to wander, since being curious is what leads to discovery and exploration. My creative path has a general direction, and some ‘signposts’ where decision points happen, but I like to leave plenty of space for the unexpected, too. Read more>>

Debra Jambor

I am not sure really why I am here on this Earth, I feel like I am an out of body experience, looking around wondering what this is all really about, but yet grateful every day I still am alive to live it. Read more>>

Hannah Ishizaki

I would say that I am wandering! Composition, as a creative field, can look so different from composer to composer. Through wandering, I am exploring what my personal career could look like — what I enjoy writing, who I enjoy working with, how I think about the creative process, among other things. Read more>>

Gino Bambino

I am wandering down a path that I don’t know where it’s going. Read more>>

Candace Boggan

I know I’m walking a divine path — even if, at times, it’s felt more like wandering. Those feelings usually arise during seasons of transition, when I find myself questioning the bigger plan. Yet even in moments of uncertainty, I trust that my steps are always ordered and that I’m exactly where I’m meant to be. Read more>>

Ethan Feider

I take great pride in the idea that I am a hopeful wanderer. Thats to say, I have great faith in my unknowing, that the path ahead is wholly unknown yet the exact one I am supposed to be on. Read more>>

Steve Turnidge

Thanks for the question, and the opportunity to share! From the outside, my route probably looks like wandering. It’s only a path as I look backwards – everything happened at exactly the right time to get to where I am now, and I am very grateful for all of these experiences. Sometimes, you leave the house heading next door and turn the wrong direction. Read more>>

Mia Liana Garcia

I am wandering! I’ve never been the type to have a 5 year plan, because I actually don’t even have a today plan. I wake up with no idea where I’ll end up by night time. So I definitely never know what I’m doing next in life. I kind of just go wherever my impulses take me. Read more>>

James Wodarek

I’m walking a path, one that started very young and has never let me go. From museum classes as a child, to traveling Europe as an undergrad, to working professionally as a designer and art director—all of it has been grounded in the same thing: ART. Read more>>

Samantha Whitehead

I really like this question because it resonates deeply with me. I am about to be 32 years old, and I finally can say that I am in a place where I feel I am walking a path. I also want to make it very clear that there is nothing wrong with wandering. I spent most of my life in the wandering zone. Read more>>

Sherri Amoure

I am walking a path, but not one I ever could have charted on my own. It feels like a path the Universe specifically laid at my feet. While I wouldn’t have chosen the hardship of being an alchemist in a dark world, transforming personal trauma into light, I have fully embraced this mission. Read more>>

Bo Gonzo

I think I’m wandering with intention. A path feels too straight, too predetermined, and my art has never really fit neatly into one lane, necessarily. I choose contrasting colors, and thick bold lines & then I’m patiently stippling (pen & ink- dots) for hours . Read more>>