| Thursday, April 16, 2009 | life coaching, happiness, creativity |
The value of negative space
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Drawing negative space, in art class lingo, is about seeing the space between objects as having the same dimensions and depth as the objects themselves.
When you draw this, it often looks strange. Like a bunch of disconnected shapes.
It's a good exercise because it trains your creative mind to see all that's happening in front of you and recognize that all of it is useful to capturing your subject.
The relationship between mass and space is valuable outside of art too. I was thinking about it after my morning run.
Normally I consider the stretching I do afterwards something that happens between two other activities -- for instance, exercise and working. It's necessary but doesn't require a lot of thought. In fact sometimes it feels like stretching gets in the way of me getting to the thing I need to do next.
This morning I realized that having that time to focus solely on my muscles and breath is similar to drawing negative space. It is the moment when I am doing 'nothing' - when I allow myself to experience and appreciate the space between other things in my life - that my life takes full shape.
Seeing the negative space - the time between activities - as having the same value as the activities themselves, allows me to enjoy my entire day. I am what I do and the space in between.
So, how to put this into practice? Much the same as the art class assignment. When looking at your calendar, try seeing what's not there. What are the spaces between planned events?
What would today's calendar entry look like if you only listed the time between activities instead of the activities themselves? How would it change how you view your time?
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For example, sleep is essential--but the annals of history will never record what we did while sleeping--but instead, focuse on our wakeful accomplishments.
Perhaps I am unenlightened and/or too caught up in the rat race--but for me a distinction must be made between quality down time and rationalized avoidance.
Speaking of my own experience, I have spent far too much time waiting for my life to happen, refering to it as a kind of gestational period for the "real" thing, and ultimately discovering that I had only been wasting my time.
I suppose what we are talking about is in the end, a question of balance, yin/yang, and all of that.