Curves

In life, as in art, the beautiful moves in curves.

Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton
Skyline Trail, Cathedral Hills, Oregon

I love curves. They’re far more interesting than straight lines. Nature abhors a square, after all. Think about it. A path through the woods or canyon is so much more intriguing when you can’t see what is coming around the next bend. It’s tantalizing. The anticipation and curiosity build, drawing you irresistibly onwards, like iron to a magnet.

Don’t you wonder what’s around the next bend?

There’s something feminine about curves. They exemplify cooperation, going with the flow instead of forging straight ahead. They teach us that compromise is not losing, that sharing space and allowing for a little give and take can help everything thrive and grow.

Curves are strong. There’s strength in flexibility. That’s another lesson they teach us, how to bend and not to break.

Arches National Park

Cultivate your curves – they may be dangerous but they won’t be avoided.

Mae West
Dangerous curves

Often life throws us curves. If we’re not ready for them, they can be dangerous. We can’t see what’s coming for us around the next bend and we approach it way too quickly. The curves of life can send us spinning out of control, sometimes sending us crashing and burning.

Magic lives in curves, not angles.

Mason Cooley

But if we’ve learned those lessons, about flexibility and cooperation, about going with the flow and being open about what we might find around the next bend, the curves life throws us can be opportunities, chances for us to grow. Embrace your curves! Bend, don’t break.

Many thanks to Ann-Christine aka Leya for this week’s Lens-Artists Photography Challenge, Curves.

“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.”

― Edward Abbey

9 Replies to “Curves”

  1. And you have thrown us some magnificent curves, Dianne, along with your wisdom and quotes to go with it all. I always love your posts – you live the life I would have wanted to live had I been strong enough. My favourites are – if I have to choose – the backlit plant and the ferns – and of course the opener. But as usual, I read your post several times… ♥

  2. There were many beautiful posts this week, I suppose because curves themselves are so beautiful. If I were giving awards though, your post would get 1st place. Your images this week are absolutely exquisite as are your thoughts about curves and their many meanings. Superb

  3. Wow, fantastic post, both images and words (your own and the quotations)! Probably my favourite of all the excellent responses I’ve seen to the curves theme. I love the way you’ve shared something of your philosophy of life within the response, and you’re so right in all you say. As to the photos, my favourites are the Arches one (I love the contrast between the snow and the red rocks!), the backlit little flower opening and that last one with the yellow flowers (gorse??) glowing alongside the winding path. Lovely stuff!!

Comments are closed.