003. Leaving Strategic Gaps
The power of what's missing:
how monstera leaves teach us strategic absence
The Paradoxical Holes of Monstera
The monstera plant presents us with one of nature's most beautiful paradoxes—it creates holes in its own leaves, a strategy botanists call "fenestration." Unlike most plants that maximize leaf surface area for photosynthesis, the monstera deliberately punctures itself, creating those iconic Swiss cheese openings. This counterintuitive adaptation emerged roughly 15-20 million years ago in the dense understory of Central and South American rainforests.
What makes this adaptation so fascinating is its multifaceted purpose. Far from being a liability, these strategic gaps serve several critical functions. In the forest understory where light is scarce, younger monstera plants have solid leaves to maximize light capture. As they climb toward the canopy using aerial roots, they begin developing perforations that allow dappled sunlight to reach leaves below, essentially sharing light with themselves. These openings also significantly reduce wind resistance, preventing leaves from tearing in tropical storms. Perhaps most ingeniously, they allow water to flow through rather than accumulate, reducing the growth of fungi and bacteria that thrive on leaf surfaces in humid environments. It's a powerful reminder that sometimes creating deliberate gaps can be more effective than attempting to be comprehensive—the monstera succeeds not despite its holes, but because of them.
The Power of Strategic Absence
There's something profoundly instructive about how the monstera uses absence as a form of presence. The most compelling narratives often employ a similar principle—understanding that what is deliberately left out can be as powerful as what remains.
Consider how master storytellers use strategic gaps. Ernest Hemingway's "iceberg theory" suggested that showing just the tip of an experience while leaving seven-eighths beneath the surface creates deeper resonance. Films like "Lost in Translation" or "Arrival" derive their emotional power precisely from what they don't explicitly state. Even in visual storytelling, negative space often creates more impact than filling every corner of the canvas. When we over-explain, over-describe, or leave no room for the audience's imagination, we may actually be limiting our story's power rather than enhancing it. Like the monstera's fenestrations, strategic omissions in our narratives allow light to reach deeper levels, reduce resistance to our message, and create resilience against misinterpretation. What might you deliberately leave unsaid in your story to create more space for connection and meaning?
Storytelling Prompt
Identify a place in your current creative work where you might be over-explaining or filling too much space. How might strategic absence—leaving certain elements unsaid or implied—actually strengthen your narrative and create more engagement?
Create Your Strategic Gaps
1️⃣ Inner Wisdom: Sometimes what you choose not to say speaks as loudly as what you express.
2️⃣ Creative Approach: Experiment with deliberate omission as a tool rather than an oversight.
3️⃣ Practical Impact: Like the monstera's leaf openings, the spaces you strategically create in your story might be what allows it to grow stronger, higher, and more resilient.
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