A Blank Page

BY RYAN HOOK

Right now, I’m sitting with about ¾ of a page left blank. A world of possibilities on my plate. And it is perhaps the most intimidating thing, whether you’re a writer, painter, songwriter, or even entrepreneur; a blank page will always strike fear. And fear is the culprit. Ideas are like lockboxes; they become safe in our heads, warm and yet tinged by the fatal sting of the world. Ideas blanket us at night and feed us through the morning keeping us at our shitty jobs, in our poisonous relationships, or living in squalor; they feed our imaginations while inspiring us to escape our harsh realities. But ideas are hopeful, and hope isn’t bad per se. Our ideas and imaginations are tools best put in practice.

Take the story of Peter Pan, a young boy forever living in Neverland. Peter Pan feeds our imaginations with the idea of never growing up. And how wonderful that would be, to stay young forever. However, even Peter peeked under the curtain, visiting his one true love, Wendy, after visiting him. When Wendy grew up, he wanted to, but Wendy grew old, and therefore Wendy passed. So while Peter spends his existence wilfully exuberant in his lifelong childhood, he is still yet cast to an existence built from torment without his one true love, forever bound to a life of imagination without the real thing. I think ideas are like this. They can become buried inside us without consequence, and that’s the ideal. It keeps them pure; it keeps them young. I think artists are afraid for their ideas because they’re afraid they might suck. It’s that fear that triggers writer’s block. It’s that fear of letting go that makes things too precious.

The “one-hit wonder” is an often-feared prospect. An artist can spend a lifetime touring festivals, playing to crowds aching to hear only one song. The fear of a failed second album is a daunting notion due to criticism that it may not chock up the the first; and while that’s not to put any critic down, in fact, I think the critic's job is to provoke the artist, it pushes the artist to take more chances, but it’s this criticism that may unfortunately idle an artistic release.  Russian composer Rachmaninoff, the same man that composed one of the most well-known piano concertos of the 20th century, ran into the streets almost comically crying and weeping after being viscerally insulted by fellow composers during a concert. He didn’t touch a piano for two years after this incident, yet, was compelled enough that even he returned to composing. So, I’m sure you can too. Go forth! Look, in a time that eighties hair metal ruled the airwaves, The Pixies still played their brand of grimey rock; and who knew The Velvet Underground would see their influence decades later with bands like The Strokes. These guys took chances to play what was in their head and now look. So instead of doubting, ask yourself: What is getting in the way?

Fear.

It takes a while to actually realize people want to hear ideas, expression, and creativity from someone, so be bold enough to create something that isn’t good. All-in-all it’s about you too. As an editor, I hear writers say “well, what will the audience think about this” and all that. It’s bullshit. While, yes, thinking about your audience is important, more important is thinking what feeds your imagination. Whether you sing in the shower, dance on the street, yell into a pillow, or clench your fist in anger – these are bursts of creation, untethered by judgment. So why is that when we sit down and go “I’m going to create something,” we think, “well, what if someone doesn’t like this.” Do you think anyone liked when you danced to mambo number 5 in the Safeway parking lot?

What gets in the way?

Bureaucracy. Why is that a doctor has to fill out paperwork instead of treating lives? Why does a farmer pay a tax for their own land? It’s a shame the administrative stuff can get tedious, but it can be rewarding to see people actually believe in what you’re doing in tangible ways. While this can slow down your process, it gets easier with time, and soon time will be kind enough to reward you with someone that you can afford to do it for you.

But, what can I do to mitigate creative blocks?

Define it.

Humans are prone to putting themselves in corners, dark ones that feel empty of meaning yet full of struggle. Psychologist Steven Pritzker, Ph.D. and co-editor of "The Encyclopedia of Creativity" (2011) believes it’s an “artificial construct that basically justifies a discipline problem.” Besides, giving something a name becomes easier to overcome.  

Have A Routine.

While the word ‘routine’ seems to have an air of servitude, a routine is a powerful tool in an artist’s arsenal; it transforms your hobby into a career. Spend time in your day towards your craft, towards clearing your mind, towards eating a healthy meal, and serving yourself - that way, you won’t be acting out a routine, you will be your routine. It’s important to treat production as a noble cause. Writing, painting, music, ballet, generally, they aren’t seen as the “9-5” jobs of yesteryear; their routines just work on a different schedule. Adapt to what suits your schedule, and make that a routine. Figure what keeps you motivated and become a character of your own fun little story.

Know that Your Work and Your Thoughts are Worth Something

Your thoughts are true and tried, what you feel to express can inspire others; they are part of something that is innate and unique among everyone. Know that there are ideas, both technically good or technically bad, and that regardless you need to express yourself for your own sanctity first. Trust it will feel good.

Release It.

Have the gaul to believe in something you’ve worked extra hard on. There’s no use holding onto something that you otherwise won’t move on from. Self-publish, pitch it to publications or galleries, or have a release party with close friends and family. The people and ways you choose to celebrate your hard work will go a long way. You’ll soon see your heart open up to more of yourself, and ideas, and if people like what you did - bonus.

Even right now as I sit and think about what more to put into this piece, I’m plagued by the idea that it’s either lacklustre, overbearing, or simply not good enough.

But this I can say, that I had a blank page and was feeling totally blocked, and instead, I decided to write about the block. So, if you ever paint yourself into a corner, just do that: use turquoise and pastel green.