The Sound of Silence

I’m not sure if it’s the dog days of summer, the preparation for the transition from summer break into a new school year, or something else altogether, but I’m finding myself needing some extra space this week. And some silence.

I love silence.

For me, it’s a vital part of creation. Inspiration needs spaciousness in order to come through and silence is a form of spaciousness. Never is this more apparent than in music. As Mozart said, “The music is not in the notes, but in the silence in between.” If there were no silences, no space between notes, no opportunities for them to ring out, then songs would just be a jumble of sounds. Long, run-on sentences. Sometimes our lives can feel like that – long, run-on sentences of seemingly endless doing. And it is in those busy times, perhaps more than any other, that we need to have some space. Especially for creatives, it’s vital to have some space to think, and breathe, and be.

In The Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell speaks about a place of creative incubation in which, “you don’t know what was in the newspapers that morning, you don’t know who your friends are, you don’t know what you owe anybody, you don’t know what anybody owes to you. This is a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be.”

In the bustle of a shoulder season, I find myself longing for this place, this space, more than usual. So, I’m taking it, and making it. And if you feel the desire for less distraction and more space, I encourage you to explore how you can clear and claim some space as well.

To that end, I’ll keep this brief and leave you with this lovely photo of clouds I took on a walk recently. Here’s to creating and enjoying some space. And silence.