Have you ever heard of the phenomenon known as horror vacui (sometimes referred to as kenophobia)? It’s the fear of blank or open space. I “diagnosed” myself with horror vacui decades back. I say this somewhat jokingly as I don’t experience the fear of open spaces as pathology, but more as a tendency I’ve seen in myself. I first noticed it almost 30 years ago in my collage creations. Over time, I’ve become aware of how this pattern shows up in other arenas of my day-to-day life, particularly when it comes to my calendar and schedule. I’ve also come to understand more about why I may fear open space: a terror that within the emptiness I may find an abyss of depression. I’ve even realized how I cling to emotions like sadness because I am actually afraid of the emptiness that releasing these feelings might leave in me.