Sometimes, the stories that shape our creativity aren’t the happy ones—but the ones of erasure. A teacher’s dismissal. A parent’s silence. A moment that made you believe your art—or your heart—wasn’t good enough.

In childhood, we often create by cutting shapes from folded paper—hearts, stars, snowflakes. But just as powerful as what is cut out is what’s left behind. The negative space.

This is an invitation, not to dwell on, but to reclaim what was left behind.

Invitation: cut a heart from a piece of paper and write answers to the following questions on the paper that is left behind.

• What experience from childhood forever changed how you saw your own creativity?

• What negative spaces live in that story?

• What beauty might still live in what remains?’

Bonus: Write a sentence on the heart you cut out reclaiming your own creativity.

If you feel moved, I’d love to know what came up for you.

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