Yeah, yeah, been there done that. The proverbial blank page alluding to a lack of creativity. It sits there waiting for art or media to strike or pen to make its mark. The blank pixels on your computer, laptop, tablet or smart phone screen are more corrosive than the void of a black hole.
The more we try the less action occurs. Creativity not just takes a back seat; it fell out at the last services stop. But how do we go back and collect it. Will it still be there residing in a cheap room in the motel? Or will it be the victim of roadkill, devoured by magpies and crows.
So how do I start to populate the blank expanse? What seeds do I plant and how long will it take for them to germinate? Or did I inadvertently spray weed killer prior to planting the seeds of consciousness?
Maybe I need to step backwards and retreat from the creative battlefield. Regroup and go back to barracks to formulate a new strategy. Rethink my plan of attack, rather than stare into the abyss of that insipid blank sheet of paper or screen.
It’s a chicken and egg moment in an abstract way. The blank page is there to hatch the egg, only if the creative and inspirational chicken is present.
Blank is good. Clean, pure and uncluttered. It’s like a field covered in freshly fallen snow with not even a blade of grass puncturing the surface. It’s tranquil and calm. It covers up blemishes making a uniform clean landscape. There may not be any colour, yet we rejoice in its beauty. An icy cold environment that warms our heart.
If you have an essay, technical document or deadline for a piece of art or novel, then the blank canvas, paper or word document is almost unavoidable. But it doesn’t have to be that way, we’ll not all the time. It’s like those occasions where you can’t remember the answer to a question, a song title or actors name in a film. So, you switch off and go and do something else or even go to bed. It’s only later when out of the blue the answer arrives. Unfortunately, it’s usually too late to add it to the conversation or exam paper.
The same method can achieved when trying to spark your imagination or creativity. Do something else, go make and eat a lemon curd and cheese sandwich. Walk the dog, wash the car or do some housework, anything to distract your mind. (Students do this all the time, sometimes excessively winding the clock down to give insufficient time to physically write the paper, but that’s another story). If you have the time and space to do this method, it works, well it works for me. However, I need access to a notebook or the Notes app on my phone to jot the idea down. It reminds me of the jotter book I, and everyone in my class had at school. It might have been full of doodles and scribble, but there were also those little nuggets of inspiration.
Like a blank expression or a poker face, a blank page just hides the creativity that’s about to transform it.
It has hidden depths and open to new meaning, knowledge and art waiting to be discovered. Like a ghost, ghoul or scary monster being frightening until you turn it around and on its head for Halloween or a Halloween party, a blank page is something not to be scared of. Find your method and enjoy.
BRIAN MACK 