I grew up with a workaholic father in a business that enveloped all of us. My dad owned Art’s Variety Store, a 15 hour a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year business. The only time that the store hours were shortened was on Christmas day, by 4 hours, so that my dad could enjoy dinner with our extended Italian family. It may be hard to believe, but the first and only day that the store was actually closed was for my wedding. (Maybe he should have kept it open! :0)
So, it came as no surprise when, many years later, I found myself working 60 to 80 hours a week in my home accessory business. The concept of free time as an opportunity to allow creative thoughts and ideas to manifest – or to simply ‘just be’ – wasn’t a big part of my reality. It wouldn’t be until decades later, after I sold my business, that I could explore other ways of being in the world.
Concerned about not being productive and fearful that I wouldn’t find anything that I would feel as passionate about, I wrote this poem:
At first, I felt apprehensive about “white spaces”, especially when I tried my hand at painting or writing, unsure whether I could fill the empty canvases or pages with something meaningful or worried that I might somehow mess up their pristine appearance.
I remember taking an art class titled, “Freedom, Passion and Painting”. We students arrived in the studio, armed with several large sheets of white paper. Many of us felt intimidated, wondering if we would ruin these pages with our inexperienced hands and paint-filled brushes. But we didn’t have time to think about it. The first assignment was to fill the entire page with paint in 8 minutes, all while listening to lively music. No white spaces and lots of smiles! The next assignment was to paint the UGLIEST PAINTING that we had ever done. No problem there! While keeping our feet moving to fun music, we playfully threw paint on the paper. But wait! We looked around . . . there were no ugly paintings! We laughed. “OK, we can do this!” By the next assignments, we were open and fearless and having a blast!
I learned that creativity needs space and play time without judgment. I loved having the time to learn, explore and discover new things and I no longer needed to fill up every space and moment to feel productive. In fact, while writing my book, Love Is the New Currency, my best writing flowed when I let go of stress by doing some deep, slow breathing or walking in nature. I was pushing to get the book finished in two years, working non-stop. A friend said, “Linda, natural child birth is a much better way to go” – and so it was, many months later.
I no longer accepted that we have to sacrifice precious moments to a culture that demands productivity at the expense of creativity. Francesco, a talented, professional musician, believes that “like children, we need play time to be creative. Imagining and dreaming are vital to fostering a sense of freedom and creativity.”
Many of us have had a lot of white space this past year and much of it has been uncomfortable. And it’s not that we still don’t have responsibilities. But what if we could value not only what we have accomplished, but equally, the creative ways that we have “reinvented ourselves” and what we have learned, read, written, or simply enjoyed?
Blessings to you and your loved ones,
How are you appreciating the white spaces as opportunities to express yourselves freely, following your dreams and passions . . . or to simply just be?
Happy Mother’s Day to all moms!
We are grateful for you and all that you do to make this world a better place.
Thanks Ruth-Ellen!
For those looking for fun gifts to celebrate this special holiday, here are some ideas: Just Ask 123 question cards are an engaging, fun way to get to know someone. And they can take just a minute to answer. And the Love Is the New Currency book offers inspiring stories that can be read in minutes. (Mother’s Day Special: CLICK HERE TO PLACE Your ORDER and receive FREE SHIPPING until May 13, 2021).
GIFT of MUSIC: Francesco Tarantino, my partner, wrote and recorded his CD, Love and Madness, and is offering to share a favorite song, appropriately titled: Stolen Moments. (And you can dance to it!) LISTEN HERE.
Please join our FB Just Ask 1 2 3 group here to meet new friends and answer a fun weekly question. You can also visit our FB page for Love is the New Currency here.
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