Negative Space

Our bodies (and everything around us for that matter) are mostly made up of empty space.

Let’s take a moment to really appreciate that space.

We are so conditioned to look for the big stuff — those defining moments that spark joy and wonder. On the other side of the coin we often spend a disproportionate amount of time thinking about potential catastrophes, attempting to avoid them at all costs.

But no matter how much success you achieve, or how many times you experience a personal disaster — your life will still be full of mundane moments. The nothing in between the drama — Eating breakfast, doing the laundry, commuting. All these unremarkable things are what make up the majority of our lives and yet we tend to overlook them in favour of looking at the “visible” stuff — the things we fear or the things we crave.

Designers are well aware of the idea of negative space. The empty parts of the page that are just as (if not more) important as the visible elements of a composition. The designer appreciates the value of negative space as this is usually main factor in the success of the design.

Where is the negative space in your life? Are you giving it the appreciation it deserves? It is key to the composition of our lives and yet we often want to skip it and jump into the big, bold and colorful stuff.

Would you approach life differently if you saw those supposedly empty spaces as the key to a well-lived life?

Maybe space isn’t negative after all?