Sometimes growth doesn’t look like moving forward.
Sometimes it looks like slowing down.
It can look like letting go of something that no longer feels right, making space for something new, or simply giving yourself permission to be somewhere in between.
That in-between space can feel uncomfortable. We’re often so focused on figuring out what comes next that we forget there can be value in simply being where we are.
This is one of the reasons I love art therapy.
Making Space Before Making Something
When you sit down with a blank canvas, there’s nothing telling you exactly what to create.
At first, that can feel intimidating.
But eventually, you have to make a choice. Maybe you pick a color. Maybe you make a mark. Maybe you sit there for a few minutes and do nothing at all.
And that's okay.
There is something powerful about giving yourself permission to not have all the answers.
Growth can work the same way.
We don't always need to know exactly where we're going. Sometimes we just need enough space to listen to ourselves.
You Don't Have to Fill Every Blank Space
I've spent much of my career in advertising, an industry that moves quickly and is constantly asking, What's next?
New campaign. New idea. New goal. New deadline.
That pace can be exciting, but it can also make it easy to believe that we always need to be doing something, achieving something, or moving toward the next thing.
Art has taught me a different way of looking at space.
A blank canvas isn't necessarily empty.
It's full of possibility.
The same can be true in our lives.
A pause isn't necessarily a setback. A transition isn't necessarily something that needs to be immediately solved. Sometimes, creating space is exactly what allows something new to grow.
Letting the Process Be the Process
One of my favorite things about art therapy is that there doesn't have to be a finished product.
You can start with one color and change your mind.
You can paint over something.
You can make a mess.
You can create something that doesn't make sense.
You can simply see what happens.
There are no grades. No right answers. No expectation to create something worthy of hanging on a wall.
And maybe that's part of the lesson.
We don't always have to get everything right the first time.
Growth can be messy, too.
What Are You Making Room For?
Sometimes making room means letting go.
Sometimes it means resting.
Sometimes it means trying something you've never done before.
And sometimes it simply means creating a little more space to hear your own thoughts.
If you've been feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or in the middle of a transition, you don't necessarily need to have everything figured out before you begin.
You can start with a blank page.
A color.
A brush.
A single mark.
And see where it takes you.
You never know what can grow when you finally make room for it. 🩵🎨