🌿 The Beauty of Side Quests
In every quest, there are places you stumble upon that feel secret, carved out just for you. This moment, barefoot in a coral dress, holding a mirror to stone dragons reminds me that my side quests are not distractions. They’re discoveries. Each detour, whether it’s a photoshoot, a film experiment, or a teacup ritual, adds another relic to my inventory. I am both the wanderer and the world-builder, finding treasures in the cracks of the map and carrying them back to the main story.
In every video game…
the main quest pushes you forward. But it’s the side quests the odd jobs, the hidden villages, and random characters; that give the game its soul. Life works the same way. My artist journey is filled with side quests: film, photography, modeling, writing, tea-making, even collaging flowers into skies. Each one feels like a tangent, but really, it’s treasure I carry back to the main quest.
🌙 What Side Quests Teach
People often dismiss side quests as distractions. But what if they’re the secret curriculum? The little “extra credit” assignments from the universe. Film taught me how to frame stories. Photography sharpened my eye for light and intimacy. Modeling taught me presence, aura, and the art of becoming my muse. Tea-making taught me the value of ritual and patience, showing me how creation begins with stillness.Flowers taught me symbolism, how even the smallest bloom carries an epic of its own. None of these were throwaways. Each was an ingredient. And when I return to my canvas, I carry all of them with me.
🌸 Life’s Unexpected Detours
It’s not only in the studio. Life itself hands us side quests:
• A spontaneous trip.
• A conversation with a stranger that lingers.
• Motherhood moments that shift your pace.
• A heartbreak that blooms into self-discovery.
Each detour bends the light in a new way. Each one gives us a tool, a scar, or a song to bring back to our main quest.
🌹 Why Side Quests Matter
Side quests are where you learn resilience without pressure. They prevent burnout from chasing one goal too hard. They’re where you unlock hidden parts of yourself you didn’t know you needed. Without them, life is just a straight line. With them, life is a constellation.
✨ Returning to the Main Quest
The main quest gets you to the destination, but it’s the side quests that make you unforgettable when you arrive. Without them, the story isn’t half as rich. So here’s to the detours, the experiments, the unexpected blooms. Try something just because it sparks curiosity. To build worlds within worlds.
They’re not distractions.
They’re not wasted time.
They are the soul of the game.
🌿 Your turn: What side quest are you on right now, and what treasure is it giving you to bring back to your main story?
Photo by Cynthia Penter