White Space Is Your Friend

I like to scrapbook.

But if you are one of those people who feels guilty about the twelve boxes of pictures stuffed on the top shelf of a closet or the 1734 photos still on your digital camera that you haven't uploaded to Facebook, please don't stop reading.

Because I have a point.

At one of the very first scrapbooking classes I attended, the instructor showed me all the papers and stickers and embellishments (a fancy word that translates "spend more money") and how to tie it all together with my photos to make a beautiful page. Several times she made the comment, "White space is your friend."

I soon discovered the temptation to overcrowd the page with all the other stuff, until the main focus of the scrapbook - the photos - was lost. The instructor reminded me that it was important to leave white space--sections that were blank-- to balance the page.

Like this:

Rather than this:

Definitely too much...pinkiliciousness. (This should be a word.)

In the first example, the white space (ok, ok, blue space) allows the viewer to focus on the main thing - the beautiful pictures of clouds. In the second example, the main point is...I'm not exactly sure.

Does you life ever resemble a scrapbook page? (This is where I'm making my point. In case you have any doubt.)

How are you doing with white space? Is your life overcrowded with embellishments, causing an imbalance? Is the main focus - living a life of purpose and meaning - lost in all the added details?

Sigh. Mine is. Too often.

"The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities."  Stephen Covey

Good advice. Easier said then done.