How to beat the blank page blues

There’s a phenomenon that all serious writers and artists are well aware of – the terror of the blank page. Even history’s most celebrated authors and painters have from time to time found themselves poised above the keys or the canvas, awaiting some inner spark to ignite and somehow make the connection between mind, heart and hands. Sure, a blank page or a new assignment can be intimidating, but we like to look at them as an exciting landscape of infinite possibilities.

 

But what does it take to transform it into a stimulating, evocative, memorable and successful work? How do we even begin to define the creative process – something that has stymied scholars and scientists since time immemorial? As intangible as it has proven to be, what we can describe is an approach that we take to activate our muse. A major key is to first fully understand a project from the client’s perspective. Are their needs strategic, such as brand or identity development, or are we dealing with an established brand that is looking to social media and the digital space for more effective positioning to get their message out? From there we can not only ask the magical question “what if” but we are in a much better place to actually answer it in a way that no one would have thought of, bringing the full gamut of creative and PR strategies to fill up that blank space.

 

And this is where having a great team of imaginative, open-minded and talented people really pays off. Yes, it’s important to have people who gel and have a similar mindset. But it’s crucial that they have a level of trust that lets them push and challenge each other without feeling guilty about hurting someone’s feelings.

Again, while that’s not necessarily a process, it’s a mindset that lets great things happen. And that’s what we strive to do.

 

What do you do to beat the blank page blues? Let us know about your creative process!

 

Photo Credit – Jens Kreuter (Unsplash)