Hey Gang,
Sometimes, I sit down to write or brainstorm and… nothing. It’s not that I don’t care or that the ideas aren’t there—it’s just that after a wild fall season, my brain feels like an empty field. And you know what? That’s okay.
You know, fall on the farm is intense. Sure, it’s families laughing in the corn maze and kids chasing each other through the pumpkin patch, but it’s also late nights ensuring everything is running smoothly. It’s rewarding and exhausting all at once.
When the season winds down, I find myself in what I like to call “white space.” It’s that quiet time when the dust settles, and you start to process the whirlwind that just happened.
The Lovely Miss Janine and I are celebrating our 25th anniversary by jaunting off to London to visit our son, Ian, who is studying abroad for a semester; I thoroughly intend to goof off thoroughly.
In a world that’s always “keep moving” or “plan ahead,” white space can feel uncomfortable. (I’m feeling FOMO not visiting IAAPA this year!) But I’ve learned that it’s also where the magic happens. White space is where we start to see the patterns—what went right, what didn’t, and where we can grow.
Rushing into the next thing too quickly usually leads to mistakes, over-extending resources, burnout or missing some magic hiding in plain sight.
So, right now, I don’t have any big revelations to share with you about 2025, and I’m not (for once) forcing it. Instead, I’m embracing a brief respite, some stillness, some quiet.
So, if you’re feeling a desire to pause, I encourage you to do so. Permit yourself not to have all the answers or a perfectly polished plan for 2025.
White space is NOT a lack of productivity; it’s where the best ideas are born. And when the time is right, those ideas will be ready to share, and you know I will share them with you right here.
I’m in the white space — I hope you’ll spend some time there, too.
All the best,
Hugh
