When I was a sophomore in high school I acted as the editor of the sophomore section of the high school year book. I learned a lot about layouts, copy, photos, etc., but the thing I remember most was the dreaded white space ~ those terrible blanks on the page when the photos and text aren’t laid out properly.
When I got my own apartment, and later when I moved into a house, I learned about dead space. Much like white space, dead space is a blank area in a room, devoid of any furniture or other decor. Dead space is also a term that can be used when trying to fill a box, suitcase, or cupboard. It’s the holes of emptiness that make for very inefficient storage.
I was thinking about white space and dead space as I was trying to fall asleep last night. I was so tired, yet I couldn’t quite reach the blissful state of slumber. I kept thinking of all the things I could do instead of just laying there trying to sleep, but I was too tired to get up and do anything. Those are the nights I call my white space or dead space nights. Holes and blanks in the continuum of time that I can’t seem to fill with productivity or sleep.
It drives me crazy as it seems like such a waste. How inefficient!
When laying out a yearbook or decorating a house filling in the white/dead spaces just takes some trial and error. Trying to fill in white/dead spaces in time is quite another thing. Time keeps moving. If you leave a hole in it that hole will be there forever, never coming back to give you a second chance to fill it.
How are you filling in your white space?
Auntie B's Wax 
Oh, Sara, I hate those sleepless nights! Fine, if I have enough energy to get up and accomplish something…but then I get afraid of being overly tired the next day. Most often it’s just that long, frustrating not sleeping but not doing anything else time. Wasted! I wish I could have back just a fraction of the time I’ve wasted over the years! Hope you sleep well tonight!
I can tell you know exactly what I’m talking about! I guess the best we can hope for is that we don’t have dead space during most of our waking hours.
Hmm. I don’t feel like I have any white space in my life. Even in my quiet moments, I’m aware of things happening around me or in me. I make a conscious effort to live fully. Maybe it has something to do with having a health crisis and realizing that noting is permanent. I don’t know what the next moment will bring, so I treasure this moment. No room for white space, just life.
Good for you, Lorna! Fill those blanks with whatever works. I could take a lesson from you.