Sifting and Sorting

In her book, Acedia and Me, Kathleen Norris writes that the word crisis derives from the Greek for "a sifting." She notes that it is important to sift and sort until only what is most vital remains. When I read her comment, I was reminded that sifting and sorting through what we consider chaos is a crucial part of any creative process rather than relying on end-point thinking where there are only two choices. In our COLOR Up model, the first creative tool is "connect" the binary opposites of any dilemma. By using this first process, the heart of the matter, the essence of a dilemma, becomes more apparent.  So, we like to consider how sifting and sorting are ways of opening up the in-between spaces, those grey areas, in-between black-and-white thinking. Finding ways to get some wiggle room when we are feeling stuck, allows us to optimize life choices; to begin to realize the many more choices beyond just two, this choice or that choice.

What are your experiences of creating the spaces between?