This sketch visualizes the lingering regret over "the road not taken," inspired by Robert Frost's poem. Moving the mouse to the left (choosing the left path) turns the current side into a sharp, thorny path while making the unchosen right side appear as a beautiful pink flower path. Conversely, moving to the right turns the right side into thorns and the unchosen left side into a mint flower path. This reflects the psychological trap where, without a centered mindset, we constantly regret our choices and perceive the untaken path as the "right" one. However, the moment the mouse is pressed (mouseIsPressed), symbolizing the decision to ground oneselfโthe split screen of comparison and regret disappears, revealing a warm golden world that embraces the cursor regardless of the choice made.
My Thoughts:
In this assignment, I explored the concept of "False Choices" and inner mindset through conditional logic (if / else). Every choice in life can at times feel painfully difficult, often creating the illusion that the untaken path would have been a perfect flower path. By swapping the environment so that the chosen side becomes thorny while the opposite side blooms, the sketch demonstrates that the real issue isn't "which path we choose," but our inability to let go of lingering regret.
Ultimately, the core message is about self-acceptance over the choices themselves. Pressing the mouse (mouseIsPressed) represents the conscious decision to stop regretting the unchosen road and fully embrace one's current path. Once we ground ourselves, the comparison and anxiety between left and right dissolve, allowing our chosen space to glow in a warm golden light.
if (mouseIsPressed) {
// ... Golden starburst rendering when grounding oneself ...
return;
}
if (mouseX < width/2) { ... } else { ... }
return; statement inside the if (mouseIsPressed) block immediately halts draw() from evaluating the split-screen if / else logic below it. Beyond a simple functional mechanism, it was fascinating to align the thematic message that grounding oneself frees you from the cycle of comparison and regret regardless of your choice directly with the code structure (return;).