Yesterday, we talked about Breaking Free from the Productivity Prison. Today, we’re chatting about finding your creativity in the silence that follows after you break free. (Become a paid subscriber for $5 a month for full access to this workshop, or, read the article that introduced the concept, You’re Enough, from our community’s open-access library for a brief overview.)
I used to think silence was the enemy of creativity. I'd fill every moment with noise—podcasts while walking, music while writing, constant input, constant motion. I was afraid that if I got too quiet, the ideas would stop coming.
But here's the truth I've discovered: Creativity doesn't emerge from constant noise—it emerges from the spaces between. Like the white space in design, like the pause between musical notes, like the moment before dawn—these "empty" spaces aren't empty at all.
Think about your favorite books. The power isn't just in the words—it's in what's left unsaid. The space between the lines where meaning blooms in the reader's mind.
The same is true for our creative practice. When we learn to rest in these spaces between thoughts, between projects, between bursts of inspiration, we're not being unproductive. We're creating a fertile void where new ideas can take root.
This isn't about forcing yourself into silence. It's about befriending it. About trusting that your creativity knows how to work with both sound and silence, both motion and stillness.
Listen to this episode with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Postscript Thoughts to listen to this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.
