🎧 40. Searching for White Space
Why nature isn't productive 24/7 (and we shouldn't be either), the resistance that arises when we try to rest, and 4 steps to make space in your own creative life
Welcome! This space is a bit of an experiment (for now). When new episodes of the Wild Words podcast arrive, I’ll post notes or a portion of the transcript here so we can discuss it! This is *not* my monthly author newsletter—you can sign up for that here.
Notes on Episode 40: Nature expands and contracts, and so do we. It’s normal to experience periods of needing more rest, longing for time off after completing a big project, or craving the freedom to write in our journals without worrying about what the words might (or should) become. But because we’re conditioned to link our productivity to self-worth, we’re not always practiced in the art of releasing. Join me as we explore what it looks like to offer ourselves more spaciousness, how to take intentional pauses, and why it’s essential to honor our personal and creative needs in any season.
A few highlights from this episode:
White space on the page vs. white space in our creativity
A personal update on why my life was put on pause this spring
Why nature isn't productive 24/7 (and we shouldn't be either)
Struggling with resistance when taking time to rest
My 4-step process for cultivating white space in any season.Â
How can we do this? What does white space look like, or what can it look like? I see the search for white space as playing out in four segments.
Part 1: Noticing and Naming
Acknowledge the craving you might have. The desire you’re feeling. The curiosity around what it might look like if you let go of certain expectations, or set a project aside for a couple of months, or gave yourself permission to read only the books you want to read. Your particular desires might not match mine exactly, but deep inside somewhere there’s a longing, and a knowing.
Part 2: Setting Intentions
I don’t think this needs to be done in any formal way. I didn’t sit down and make a list of all the things that were important to me to focus on (or not focus on) this summer, but I did spend some time journaling and doing a lot of thinking about what I’m really looking for.
I wanted the freedom to feel into what I wanted to do in any given moment. It might look like going to the backyard and reading in the hammock after lunch. It might look like typing up some poems that have been sitting in a notebook for two years. It might mean getting ideas for future episodes of this podcast, but the key is I’m not forcing that. I’m just seeing where the space takes me and my creativity and opening up possibilities that might not have been there before.
Part 3: Clearing the Space
I use a metaphor in my book, Wild Words, about weeding the garden, and I feel like it’s appropriate here too. This is when you pause, remove, reprioritize. You might want to make a list of everything you’re doing. Look at where you’re putting your creative energy. Look at your calendar and see what’s on it in a week and start getting curious and asking what needs to stay, what can go. What can be paused temporarily? What can be paused permanently? You are weeding the garden of your creative life (and possibly your personal life) to keep those garden beds healthy, to make room for new seeds. I could go on with this metaphor but I’ll stop there.
I do want to say here that the clearing out process can take some time. Especially if you’re being really thoughtful with it, it might take a month or two to really put everything in place, and that’s ok. I was doing this ahead of summer, but you might be listening at another time of year, and searching for white space can happen anytime.Â
Space clearing can also feel somewhat administrative. There can be tasks that need completing before you can fully step away. You might need to speak with people to get support in various ways. Getting all your ducks in a row can take some effort, but it’s worth it. It’s absolutely worth it.Â
Maybe you’ll need to delete the social media apps from your phone. Maybe you’ll want to fill up your library holds list so you have a running stream of great reads to look forward to. Maybe you’ll print out the manuscript you’re working on, three hole punch it, and tuck it away in a folder, organized and ready for when you pick it up again. Maybe your bookshelves, or your loose papers, need to be better organized. Think about some of the tasks that are specific to your situation right now that will help give more breathing room.Â
And making white space doesn’t have to be big. I think that’s important to remember too. Most of us aren’t in the position to literally stop everything we’re committed to or responsible for. And a true escape isn’t really the goal, although a day or two away is always nice if you can swing it.Â
Like me, you will most likely still have household responsibilities—maybe you have kids, or you support an aging parent. Maybe you have a job that you can’t just quit for the summer because you want more time to yourself. But you can spend five minutes on your yoga mat every day just breathing. You can go on a walk for 10 minutes. You can pick up a book instead of picking up your phone. You can delete your social media apps, or create parameters around them that prioritizes your time offline instead of online.Â
Step 4: Circling Back to Notice
The final step in this loose process is noticing. Once you’ve created that space, give yourself the time to sink into it. Enjoy it. Embrace it. And keep those senses up. Check in with yourself to see how you’re feeling. Is there any resistance? If you stopped using social media, for example, do you miss it? Do you feel liberated? Because your brain should have a bit more downtime, reflection will hopefully feel natural during this period, so I encourage you to notice your feelings and how the space ultimately serves you.
Do any of these ideas resonate with you? Were you able to take some time off this summer? Share your reflections in the comments!
Nicole Gulotta is the author of WILD WORDS and the literary cookbook EAT THIS POEM. She helps sensitive writers embrace the season they're in, create at their own pace, and care for their minds and bodies along the way.
💛 Know a friend who could use some creative encouragement? I’d really appreciate you sharing this post.