Painting with Words.

“First, destroy the white space,”
His soft voice echoes in my mind.

Bennett.

I don’t remember him well,
Just bits and pieces:
nondescript,
short,
round—
intelligent eyes—
eyes that saw so much,
and a voice that spoke so sparingly.

“How do you deal with an empty canvas?
White,
intimidating,
challenging,
frightening…
the first touch of paint a commitment.

“First, destroy the white space!

“Fling your paint on the canvas!
Blot out the white space with shape and color!
Let your ideas bleed onto the canvas.
Create with passion…
then refine.

“Refine with perception.

”Let your eyes see the patterns:
those that were planned,
those that emerge,
and those that might exist with encouragement.

“Let your heart feel the rhythms:
of the colors,
of the shapes,
of the symbols,
Feel what is needed, what is not.

“Let your soul hear its message
then be ruthless as you edit.”

“But first…
Destroy the white space!”

An empty sheet of paper…
a blank screen…
taunting,
threatening,
a void ready to suck the soul dry,
the first word a commitment.”

And Bennett whispers:

“First, destroy the white space!”

Fling your words on to the paper;
fill the void with symbols, ideas, and phrases.

Write with passion,
then refine.

Refine with perception.

Let your eyes see the patterns:
those that were planned,
those that emerge,
and those that might exist with encouragement.

“Let your heart feel the rhythms:
of the words,
of the phrases,
of the symbols.
Feel what is needed and what is not.

“Let your soul hear its message
then be ruthless as you edit.”

After forty years, he is still my teacher.

Create with passion,
refine with perception…

But first!
  Destroy the white space!