The Path Less Traveled

“The straight line leads to the downfall of humanity.” Friedensreich Hundertwasser

Here I am, nearly two years out of college and working a 9 to 5 job.  The perceived short time I’ve spent at the mercy of the real world certainly cannot warrant complaints already.  Or can it?  Our lives have a certain order, according to the rules set by society.  There’s a definite progression; go to school until you’re 18, graduate, go away to college, enter the real world, and work until you’re financially stable enough to retire.  I’ve monotonously been following this course set before me for 23 years, however as I realize a good 40 years lies between me and my non-working bliss, I think… why are so many people, especially in these tough economic times, forced to discontentedly work where they are unchallenged.  We are told to be thankful for the jobs we have and that it’s no time to take risks.  But when is? Before we know it, we will have spent our working years doing something in which we had no interest.  Serena Williams wouldn’t hold 27 Grand Slam titles if she had followed this expected path.  Albeit, there are those who are blessed with genuine talent, but how will we ever know our strengths if we don’t liberate them?  The Austrian-born painter and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser’s aversion to a straight ruler was inspiring.  He found the corners other painters left unexplored.  He combined mismatched shapes, whimsical colors and uneven spaces to produce Dr. Seuss-like creations. He is quoted as saying “The straight line leads to the downfall of humanity.”   And although Hundertwasser used these words to inspire his art, I’ve been motivated to understand them figuratively and apply them to this supposed straight path were assumed to follow.  Without taking those initially cautious steps, the world would be void of most of its manmade treasures.  Walt Disney created the most the most recognizable mouse in the world, Coco Chanel graced women with the little black dress and alas Mark Zuckerberg connected over 500 million people worldwide by risking failure for a different path. 

Recommendation: The works of Friedensreich Hundertwasser.  Because when you veer off the straight and narrow, things start happening.