In my last blog, I wrote about the benefits of eliminating or reducing areas of our lives to make room for creating. In my case, it's turning off the computer at 9 pm. I called it the art of subtraction.
Yet I remember the pandemic and how much time suddenly became available to us. Many of our usual commitments disappeared. Social engagements, public gatherings, travel, even the simple pleasure of meeting a friend for coffee.
And yet, despite all that extra time, many of us didn't feel particularly motivated to create.
Was it because this wasn't subtraction we had willingly chosen? We were having things taken away from us. Our surroundings became smaller, our routines less varied, and our opportunities for spontaneous encounters diminished. Perhaps subtraction works differently when the world around us feels diminished too.
It got me thinking that perhaps there are two forces at work here. The art of subtraction is about making room by letting go of things that occupy our time and attention.
But what about the art of attraction? The things that draw us towards life. A dinner with a friend we've been meaning to see. A hike we've planned for the weekend. A book we're looking forward to reading. A conversation that might take us somewhere unexpected. These aren't necessarily things we need to make room for. They're things that make us want to make room.
Perhaps the trick isn't simply to have less on our plates, but to have something that makes us look forward to what's next.
Subtraction creates space. Attraction gives us a reason to fill it.
How much attention do we give to what we need to subtract, without considering what attracts us?
Till next time. Travel light.
Field Notes are brief entries between each Travel Light blog. Read the blog here.
