Remove the Key Element!

Many objects have a defining feature that makes them instantly recognizable.

For a door, it might be the handle.

For a plane, its wings.

For a chair, its legs.

We could go on listing examples for nearly every object we know.

Obviously, for a cage, it’s the bars.

But what happens when you take them away? In this case, two things happen:

1) We still recognize it as a cage. Even without seeing the bars, our brain fills in the missing shapes, and other elements help us understand what it is.

2) We give it a new meaning. Removing something doesn’t necessarily mean subtracting. It can mean adding, enriching.

A cage without bars conveys a much deeper meaning than just a simple cage.

Thank you,

Dario Paniagua
Visual Thinkers Coach

Cages come in many forms: square or cylindrical. These two geometric shapes are particularly prevalent, appearing in countless objects around us, often unnoticed until we take a closer look.

When we sharpen our powers of observation, we can transform almost anything into a metaphorical cage.

Every object, idea, or structure has the potential to represent constraints.

The narratives you can build around the concept of a cage are truly limitless.

A cage can symbolize external pressures that mirror the constraints we feel internally, whether it’s a societal norm, a personal fear, or an unspoken rule.

Cages can evoke emotions that range from a sense of safety and protection to feelings of restriction or entrapment.

But here’s the most fascinating part: any image, no matter how ordinary, can serve as a container to "cage" a thought, a feeling, or a concept.

A birdcage can hold freedom, a jar can enclose chaos, or a fence might frame a fragile dream.

With the right framing, everyday...