Unless you’re interested in urban planning, you may be unfamiliar with the concept of “desire lines”, but chances are, you’re using them every day.
Let’s take a stroll!
You’re downtown and home is a short walk away. You’re hungry and eager to be reunited with the meatball sandwich waiting for you in the fridge. As you cross the McGill campus, there are paved paths pointing in every direction. But there are also worn footpaths that cut more directly across; the grass trampled by the passage of many others who were also eager to get home a minute or two sooner.
Unless I’m faffing, my feet will always take the footpath—sometimes consciously, but most often not. This compulsion works the same way desire does (thus the name). A need is activated deep inside your self and you feel compelled to move in a certain way. It may not make sense to others, but you cannot silence it or behave otherwise.
But why choose “Desire Lines” as the new name of my Substack?
I have a reputation for doing things my own way. I’m a Gen X kid raised by Italian immigrant parents, we didn’t have the Internet and I only had one much-older brother. I grew up always figuring things out on my own and my natural inclination to self-direct was only reinforced over time. Autonomy became my ultimate goal, I felt empowered and my confidence grew with every new achievement, no matter how small. I also learned how to conserve my energy in an environment that was constantly making demands on my attention.
To this day, I don’t like people telling me what to do and I like to work smart, not hard.
That said, I am not a contrarian at heart. I don’t want to be a rebel either. I choose the desire line over a traditional path—professionally, personally or creatively—because doing so (a) helps me attain my goal more efficiently and/or (b) it’s more aligned with my vision.
Since I started this Substack in September 2023, it has evolved. What started as an online collection of thoughts and concepts related to writing a novel, is now a general notebook about writing, using creativity to change how you view the world and allowing the world to transform your creativity in turn.
Going forward, that content and tone won’t change, but I needed a name that was more fitting. And Desire Lines feels right.
Whereas once the path was paved and edged with neatly trimmed shrubs, now we find ourselves in a tangle of wildflowers and long grass, following buzzy bees and butterflies across a dusty trail to find a river, clearing or some other unexpected marvel.
Let’s see where these desire lines take us.
What are your experiences with desire lines? What steers you towards one path or another? And what area of your life could benefit from a sudden veer to the unknown?
If you want to learn more about desire lines, read this excellent article in The Guardian or visit the dedicated Desire Lines Subreddit.
I used to take a desire line diagonally across an empty lot when I worked at Musiqueplus in the 90s. Now I work directly above that desire line in the NFB building that was built on that lot! The architect designed the building interior walkways diagonally to "quote" the desire line. Great name for the Substack!