In design, white space is what is left untouched. It is the space above, below, beside and in-between. White space gives us room to see what’s important. It provides clarity and focus. It is not an extra, something you have as and when there is room. It is an essential. It is part of the design, an element that is taken into consideration throughout the creative process.

What if we designed our lives with white space in mind?

We often fill our lives with so many commitments and activities that our schedules and to-do lists are crammed to the edges with no white space to be seen. When the unexpected happens, be it crisis or opportunity, everything is tossed into a jumble. We scramble to keep it together while we watch things fall off the grid.

With our days overstuffed, we’re often overwhelmed. The slightest thing sends our emotions reeling and we have no room for deep reflection or flexible thinking. Life is like a rush-hour commuter train where we close our eyes and try to hang on until we get to the end of our ride.

But what is the end?

Our life is the journey and the destination.

When we do a little less, we experience a lot more. We have time to see, feel, taste and hear, to touch and to be touched, to reflect and to respond. We can see with greater clarity and focus with greater depth. We can make better choices and have room to manoeuvre when that choice is change.

We are organic beings living organic lives.

White space gives us the ability to be spontaneous, to grow and to go in unexpected directions, to say yes on the fly and to dance with the moment.

This week white space allowed me to turn a work morning into a long walk with a dear friend and it held my heart open wide enough to let in deep inspiration about the next season in the studio.

Where can you create some space around the edges?

Experiment and experience it yourself. Create white space in your life and notice the impact. Play with the balance and discover how much space feels just right for you.