“The night air gripped my face tightly. Alone I walked back from ______. Just as I came around the corner a _______ brushed passed me. _________ I cried!”
Question: what would you have put in those blanks? Whatever you put in, you inserted your own meaning and allowed yourself to dream just a little bit.
What do you see in this picture? A dull insignia of capitalism or a yet-to-be painted tapestry?
This week, as I was walking, I saw this billboard and snapped this picture on my phone. It got me thinking. Do I view life as full of empty spaces of potential or do I only notice what is already there?
Noticing the empty takes discipline. Noticing the yet-to-be-created takes careful listening and observation. How much of life do we let pass us without, for a moment, looking closely at the meaningful details. Then perhaps we can take another moment to see the grand meta-narrative in each aspect of life.
If you know the basics of graphic design you will know about the intentional importance of negative space. Often, though, negative space is used as a neutral or contrasting background to draw attention to the main subject which is then referred to as the positive space. This basic and often overlooked principle of design gives the eye a “place to rest,” increasing the appeal of a composition through subtle means. This gets me thinking, am I so focused on the positive space that I miss out on the beauty of the negative space? Could it be that there is beauty in what is not there too?
I feel like this principle is the essence of what good story is comprised of also. We leave just enough blanks to allow the reader/hearer enter into the story with you. When we leave a blank we are essentially saying, “you can figure out the rest, I trust you enough to draw a conclusion from this”. Perhaps blanks are God’s signature way of inviting us to create and imagine with Him too.
What do you think?