Finding Your Desire Path

Desire Paths

Landscape architects refer to the natural paths that form between built paths throughout an outdoor space as desire paths. Desire paths are naturally worn as people create new ways to get from place to place. They can guide a person to a feature (such as a secluded lake, waterfall, or mountain overlook) or simply through areas of dense vegetation that would otherwise not be accessible.

Desire paths are so named because they are the direct result of someone creating a new way based on their personal desire. Desire paths do not stand in direct opposition to built paths. They often weave in and out of built paths, acting in concert with the flow of how people use them. It is a common thought that many current roads started as desire paths.

The metaphor of the desire path can be explored from the perspective of life in general. Our lives can be viewed as a beautiful combination of constructed and desire paths.

What can we learn from desire paths?

Desire paths make new discoveries possible.

Creativity happens along the desire path. Entrepreneurial fearlessness lives along the desire path. Possibility blossoms on the desire path. The desire path embraces both success and failure, confidence and humility, answers and questions. Curiosity is a tool commonly used on the desire path. The desire path is built on hope, beginning, and faith.

There is a rebel attraction to following a desire path.

Fun, adventure, and joy can be part of the desire path. The desire path is where your edge — the place where you are just uncomfortable enough to grow and learn—feels safe. The desire path is the educated and reasoned and considered leap before the net appears. The desire path says, “spread your wings and fly.” You can ask, “Why not?” along the desire path. You can dance barefoot on the desire path. You can climb mountains, sail oceans, and find hidden treasure along the desire path.

The desire path allows us to stay close to what matters.

When you think about how you make decisions and navigate your day-to-day, are you on a desire path? Do notions of responsibility, commitment, and fear play into your desire path? Often, the desire path requires examination and rethinking, trial and error, and dusting off our butts. The desire path is a flexible route that listens, pays attentions, changes, widens, and narrows in concert with the still small voice that lives in each of us.

The desire path is the heart of the built path.

Desire paths reveal a conversation between the natural and built environment. They are not mutually exclusive. Think about hiking trails in beautiful parks. The built path often leads to the desire path. The constructed path points the direction to the desire path. Both paths can lead to amazing places. Both paths require the first steps forward. There is a story being told between the paths. Imagine it. The built path offers, “Head this direction.” The desire path responds, “Hey, look over here!” The built path explains, “I will make sure the way is clear.” The desire path says, “Lets see what we can find.” The built path smiles, “I will be here when you be get back.” The desire path exclaims, “I will touch that rainbow.”