White Space

No, I'm not talking about the snow outside (although I'm sure I will in another post).

When I hear the word white space, it takes me back to my days of desktop publishing courses back in the early 90s. Here's a quote about white space from "Looking Good In Print", a book that I used often back when I started as a technical writer.

"White space - or blank space free of text or artwork - is one of the most undervalued tools of graphic design. White space provides contrast, as well as a resting point for readers' eyes, as they begin moving through the publication."

I read a blog called Camp Creek, and it discusses applying Reggio Emilia philosophy to homeschooling. I use some Reggio Emilia ideas with my children and with the preschool children. Anyway, I was reading this post the other day on her blog called "White Space" and it really made me think, yet again, about mine and my children's daily lives.

She said:

"When we talk about overscheduled kids, I think about white space.

When we cram too many experiences into a child’s day/week/life, we don’t leave time for them to think about what they’ve experienced — they just move on to the next thing, letting the previous thing drop away.

Refilling the well, being inspired, making connections, reflecting … these aren’t things that are easily acknowledged and checked off a list. They need time — empty, unfilled, unscheduled time.

White space. Without the white space, there’s no balance.

Rather than thinking about quantity — of ideas, of experiences, of work produced — we need to think about quality. Spending more time doing less, so we can do better and appreciate more. A single experience, really and truly had and understood, is more valuable than weeks and weeks of rushed, unconnected, random experiences."

This is one of my goals for this year: To spend more time doing less, so we can do better and appreciate more.