The Art of Creating Space

“There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.”
– Leonard Cohen 

A crack in our life and the space it creates often feels uncomfortable. It breaks through our seemingly solid foundation. A project is delayed, plans cancelled, we get sick and need time off.

Sometimes an earthquake rips through, like the recent lockdowns. Initially, we focused on the physical space reducing. We felt restless and anxious. Problems that had been simmering away reached boiling point and spilt over.

We also noticed the space that opened up. Our attention turned to a project we’d been putting off, a new walking track, a recipe that had been book-eared or a long phone chat with a friend. We didn’t just adapt, we eventually let the light in, to cleanse and energise our lives. 

If two lockdowns weren’t enough, I also faced a three-week recovery post eye surgery. I couldn’t drive, work, cook, read or watch anything. Life was stripped back to something even simpler and I surrendered to this moment of pause.  

Washing my hair was the major event of the week; running a bath and using a bucket, so not to get water in my eye. I’d light a candle and watch the steam rise from my skin in the grey morning light. I imagined all the women before me who’d washed their hair this way. I felt serene, performing a task I’d normally do on autopilot in the shower.

My eye recovered rapidly and so did I, with this new-found spaciousness. It felt like I was coming out of a winter that had lasted many years. Similar to a tropical holiday, thawing in the sun and moving beyond recovery and into a deeper level of relaxation and enjoyment.

“Cracks appear in our lives when it’s time for a new experience.”

I was incredibly motivated in those weeks and made decisions that dramatically shifted my life. I bought my first home, committed to working with several new mentors, quit coffee, dramatically cut down on alcohol and learnt Vedic meditation.

With these changes came a huge expansion in my creative energy. I began a music production course, designed a website to share my writing and pitched a book idea to a publisher. I also started the daunting process of dating again and the most monumental decision of all; I left a wonderful career at my family business that I’d been dedicated to for 11 years. Essentially, I let go of the false sense of security I’d been clinging to, and stepped towards the life I was craving.  

Of course, changing almost every aspect of my life over a 12-month period, didn’t come without a lot of discomfort. It was a fight against unconscious patterns and difficult emotions that I wanted to supress and numb. The space that had opened up could feel like a void that I desperately wanted to fill. Learning to vulnerably accept the fear and doubt cracked me open and changed who I was. In an empty garden, confidence, love and trust towards myself started to grow.

“The space that had opened up could feel like a void that I desperately wanted to fill.”

I still grieve my old life and have wanted to turn back many times. I miss Party Jess and lots of social plans. I miss being part of a team at work and the reliable pay cheque each week. I miss the comfort of making excuses. The freedom we want can be the very thing that scares us the most.

Cracks appear in our lives when it’s time for a new experience. Sometimes they catch us by surprise, but in hindsight we usually see why they formed. When the light pours through that crack, it also illuminates the shadow. To fill the crack to avoid the shadow also blocks out the light. Let our practise be to open, to both light and shadow.

An invitation to explore (e.g. journal, paint, meditate on):

1.     When was the last time space opened up in my life?

2.     How did I react when the space opened up, what did I feel?

3.     What did I do with that space?

Are you ready to create more spaciousness in your life?

Creating Space is a 3-month mentoring journey, where we’ll explore what you need to feel fulfilled and inspired in your life and how to sustainably meet those needs. 

With gentle guidance and nurturing support, you’ll connect to your creative energy to build the bridge to your desires and savour the gifts they hold.