I’m discovering as an artist that it takes a certain amount (well, maybe a lot!) of courage to leave part of a painting alone when it’s appropriate to the image, and let the WHITE of the untouched paper have its say.

A compulsive urge to cover all of the paper with a layer of paint creeps in – even if it’s with white paint! Quite ridiculous when I think about it, but when I hold that behavior up to other areas of my life it’s very revealing.

Like when I want to fill the silence in a conversation with words – whether they add meaning or not.

When I want to fill every moment of the day with DOing something. Whether it matters or not.

Or I want to cover every inch on my dinner plate. Or fill my glass to the BRIM – even when I’ve already had enough.

Space can be uncomfortable. The emptiness causes me to squirm and fidget. I get the almost-uncontrollable urge to color it in – make it BE something. Don’t wanna look like a slacker, do I?

Our culture especially prizes busyness – sometimes at great cost. I’m feeling a need to let go…leave things alone…siiiiigh…of relief.

Allow those spaces to fill my soul with q-u-i-e-t and peace.

Let the unanswered (and unanswerable!) questions surface for air.

Acknowledge the white space, listen to it, and just let it be.

Have a Wonderful Christmas!

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Our beautiful winter walk!

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