One of my least favorite things about creative endevors used to be the blank page. I know I’m not alone in having experienced dread while looking at an what will be a blog post, a chapter of a story, a class of code, or even a tweet. I used to get this urge to fill the space quickly, adding content, even if it was meaningless. It was helpful to see more than the endlessness that is that blank page.

What is great about an empty page?

Instead of feeling dread at the empty space in front of us, it is powerful to use that space to truly imagine. When you give yourself the freedom to fill that page at your own pace, you may be surprized at what you create. A blank page allows you to move past any format you may be used to.

Moving past the dread

There are always going to be times when it can feel impossible to move past the dread. When I face this, I have remind myself not to shut down. I often take a few moments to breath deeply and turn on music or white noise to help focus me. Then I give myself permission to fail. “It’s okay if this isn’t perfect” or “Your now is not your forever” (Thanks John Green for that, If you don’t know what I’m talking about check out Turtles All The Way Down .)

Parting Thoughts

It is okay to keep feeling that dread, but it is important to remember that what you have to contribute is worthwhile, even if it isn’t perfect. Don’t worry about getting anything right, just be yourself.