Andy Hines, futurist and director of consulting at Social Technologies, a DC consulting company, and Lisa Belkin, New York Times "Life's Work" columnist and the author of Life's Work: Confessions of an Unbalanced Mom (Simon & Schuster, 2003), talk about "white spaces" where people find their creativity. Where is your white space?
Comments [12]
yeah, i think the point is that we always have a "whitespace" with us because you just never know when innovation and emotion just grabs you.
The ueber-hip carry around a Moleskin notebook for this.
My white space is on my bicycle. I am a visual artist, and teacher. Although i have a studio space,the ideas don't come there. My best idea work comes while riding-either commuting on my bike, or riding recreationaly.
When I have a problem to solve or need to think, I fuss around with my plants -- watering, repotting, etc. Or clean something -- the kitchen, the bathroom, vacuuming. I can do something similar at work -- reorganizing files or rearranging something in my office. Basically, it's doing something rote that allows my mind to wander or free associate.
History is full of scientists (especially physicists) who arrived at inspiration while walking. Maybe needed to get away from the pages full of equations ...
I don't know that it's considered "white space" but my creativity is encouraged when I am watching TV. That must sound sick but what can I say that's it. I think it might have to do with the inane stuff that's on TV and I start to wander mentally and get inspired to design lace patterns or play the organ.
David Allen's book addresses the need to make sure that we trap all of our actionable items (tasks) into buckets that we review, therefore freeing our brains from constantly thinking about the things we need to get done. he calls this "closing open loops".
Ideal whitespace: The Hungarian Pastry Shop at 110th Street; crowded, dark, noisy, bottomless coffee, no one will throw you out, good cake, and no internet.
when I was in college in New York I used to go on the subway to read. I'd try to get a seat and ride to the end of the line and then back again, with my books and my walkman on.
now I'm a freelance graphic designer, I work from home and I find it so easy to get distracted at home! Sometimes I like to go to a cafe (if they have wifi) to do my work, but I'm still searching for a good place to concentrate!
David Allen has a great book that helps with allowing us to have "White space" all of the time. His book is called "Getting Things Done".
To get anything done creatively quickly, I have to bunker down in Gorilla Coffee on 5th ave in Park Slope. The people around and activity keeps me from getting bored and if I am home, its too easy to get up and get distracted. At Gorilla once you are sitting at your laptop, you're there til you pack up to leave.
Marty
My husband is a Presbyterian pastor who has written most of his sermons, a doctoral dissertation and a book over the last 24 years in coffee shops and diners. One restaurant in Virginia even named a sandwich after him because he spent so much time there.
My white space seems to be at work. Unfortunately, the ideas I'm coming up with have nothing to do with my job and is always about my personal projects.
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