In recognizing the greatness (the talent, the beauty) in others, we open the door to discovering our own.

The complete table of contents for the September 2023 issue of Blank Spaces magazine.

As I write this I’m sitting beneath the massive pines of a campground that is two years away from its 100th anniversary. Year after year my husband and I are blessed to be invited back to this place to play music together through two consecutive weeks of Family Camp. There are five things we can count on:

The complete table of contents for the September 2022 issue of Blank Spaces magazine.

Back in 2016, frustrated by the state of publishing in Canada and how inaccessible it felt to newcomers, I started Blank Spaces. With nothing more than a vision to champion Canadians and a hastily constructed free website, I put out the call, looking for people like me: people who wanted to be heard. I recruited volunteers, I blocked haters, I accepted my first submission, and I released the inaugural issue in September of that same year.

The complete table of contents for the September 2021 issue of Blank Spaces magazine.

When you’re a dreamer, uncertainty can throw a major wrench into your fantasies. In this season of social distancing and hyper awareness, it’s easy to become jaded to anything beyond living in your pyjamas and eating bonbons until your jeans are only good for the donation bin. I’ve had to forcibly practice positive thinking and healthy habits; and though none of us know what tomorrow will bring, I’m making myself rethink old goals and set new ones.

The complete table of contents for the September 2020 issue of Blank Spaces.

The complete table of contents for the September 2019 issue of Blank Spaces.

It seems like a lifetime ago I posted the blog that shared my vision to start a magazine. What began on a whim has become a living, breathing thing because of you—the ones who read and subscribe and contribute. Through this venture I’ve had the privilege of publishing the work of over 200 Canadian creatives, many of whom told me Blank Spaces was the first publication to accept them. I count this as a massive honour. It’s one thing to share a vision, it’s a whole other thing to see that vision come to light. And it’s only your involvement that has allowed that to happen.

Snow still fell at the beginning of May as I put the last touches on this issue’s layout. I felt burdened by the weather, by this weighty long winter that threatened to pull at every silver-lining I struggled to cling to. My motivation was thin, my office was chilly, and it felt like the sun would never return to its full summer glory.

Years ago, a conversation with my husband about our personal passions went a long way towards helping us better understand one another. That discussion taught us to make space in our relationship to pursue those things, ultimately resulting in both of us being happier. I would even go so far to say Blank Spaces wouldn’t exist without that conversation.

Two years ago, September 2016, I was in my day-job office when the mail-lady delivered the first issue of Blank Spaces. My hands shook as I opened the package, dread coursing through me as I thought of all the people who had pre-ordered the debut edition based on my bold promotion. The night before I had dreamed the issues arrived printed on tissue paper, stapled together haphazardly. Everything was on the line—at least, it felt that way. My reputation, my pride, my future. I had a vision of bringing Canadians together, who, like me, were tired of rejection, tired of the ‘you must be published to get published’ Catch-22, desperate for a place to belong. I pictured a beautiful, glossy piece of art that anyone would be loathe to ignore; something that would be cherished in a collection rather than discarded in a recycling bin.

The complete table of contents for the September 2018 issue of Blank Spaces.

It’s hard to believe I’m writing this piece for the anniversary issue. One year. Whew! To say I’m proud would be a gross understatement. I am thrilled, amazed, humbled, and all the other positive words I’d list here if I didn’t feel the pressure to write something more profound.

The complete table of contents for the September 2017 issue of Blank Spaces.

When the inspiration for Blank Spaces struck I found myself heady with anxiety: would people actually care? What a thrilling surprise to learn that yes, in fact, they do! Canadians are hungry for content that reflects who we are and what we stand for, and I am beyond excited by the great pieces that came across my desk as I sent out feelers, looking for talent and collaborators.