The following text was adapted from a script created for my 5 minute talk at Ignite Corvallis 2011. Each image was part of a slide deck which advanced automatically during the talk.
I want to briefly promote the value of space. I’ll start by discussing the element of space as it is used in creative disciplines, and then refer to it more generally.
Music is the space between the notes. – Claude Debussy
First, let’s consider music. The space between notes feels like the connective tissue of a song as well as a creative element. The silent parts of a song and the gaps between notes serve to enhance and compliment the sounds. Music is defined by silence. The image is of Annie Clark, a current favorite of mine who knows how to use silence. Her stage name is St. Vincent.
The space within becomes the reality of the building. – Frank Lloyd Wright
Then there’s architecture. The architect creates structures that literally define space. Buildings may be beautiful and keep the rain out, but the most important part of a building is really the space inside and around it where everything happens. The central purpose of a building is acted out in that space.
Space and light and order. Those are the things that men need just as much as they need bread or a place to sleep. – Le Corbusier
Space is also critical in the elements of construction. The architect needs to strike the right balance and rhythm between where there is something and where there is nothing. Space is not just emptiness. It can be a quality of things. House walls, free of decoration, become elements of space. Hang something on a wall and the surrounding space frames the object.
When people don’t understand this, at least intuitively, they can fill all available space with stuff, creating a claustrophobic feeling.
You may be aware of ‘negative space’ if you have ever taken an art class. Paying attention to it can offer a new perspective on the subject and help the artist communicate better. But negative space can also become the subject. You can see how the black birds in this Escher image become the space defining the white birds and vice-versa.
Here is a clever use of negative space. In this case it’s a “space invader” the artist has created. I think it’s important to understand how space can be seen as an object in life as well as art. It defines the substance of life and frames what we experience.
Consider how your life as work of art or design. What might the element of space look like in a person’s life?
An obvious answer is physical. Is there enough emptiness in your physical spaces? It can also just mean more free time throughout the day.
We shape clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness inside that holds whatever we want.
We hammer wood for a house, but it is the inner space that makes it livable.
– Lao Tzu, translated by Stephen Mitchell
The idea of space having value is actually quite old. This quote is from the Tao Te Ching, written 2500 years ago.
If the content of this post resonates with you, and you’re not already interested in eastern philosophy, I suggest looking into Buddhism or Taoism. Space and emptiness is central to both.
Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do. – Steve Jobs
This guy had more than a passing interest in Zen Buddhism. By deciding not to do certain things, Mr. Jobs gave Apple the space to pursue a small number of carefully chosen projects with incredible success.
Are you consciously choosing not to do certain things in your life? Are you allowing enough space for what’s really important to you?
The yin yang symbol can represent the interplay between space and substance, between activity and stillness, between negative space and an artistic subject. The dark defines the light, just as a building shapes the space inside. It can even represent how notes and silence can complement one-another.
Click on any credited image in this post to find the creator.