The Terror of the Blank Page

Blank page. Staring at me

For most of us, it's easier to start with ANYTHING rather than with a blank page.

We think we need at least something, even one little thing, to grab ahold of, like a life raft.

But, the thing is, while the blank page is in FRONT of me, there's inspiration all around me.

I see the sunlight slanting through the window. There are dust specks floating through the air and I think, for just a moment, that maybe I should vacuum instead of write.

I smell the clean scent of the scarf I'm wearing, I wound it around my neck, fresh from the dryer.

I hear the dogs chewing on their carrots, the older one patiently letting the puppy steal one from him.

I feel the soft leather cushion of the couch and think about all the things we've done on and around this couch; sleeping, watching movies, making forts, holding babies -the list is endless.

I taste the carrot that I've saved for myself, the dogs looking at me accusingly because I've dared take one of their treats.

Each of those things swirled around my consciousness as I typed my first words on a blank page.  Any of those things could be the start of a story, the start of an improv, the start of a blog post, the start of a painting, the start of a musical composition. The fact is, there is always something around us to inspire..

When I'm coaching, I will sometimes ask my students to start from an entirely blank place.

"Do a scene," I'll say. That's a blank page. Full of possibility. Where to go?

I see the relief in their eyes; feel the relief of tension in their bodies when I give my improv students a place to start from. They really don't need it, but, they THINK they do.

Just look around, there's SO much inspiration everywhere, even in the mundane.