Staring at a Blank Page

Now that you’ve opened your brand-new journal, the next step is to, of course, get started. Except the paper is too white when you thumb through the pages, and you don’t want to mess them up. You like your journal the way it is, pretty and untouched.

So, you look online at other people’s journals and decide that you can’t possibly do what they do.  But that’s like cooking for the first time and expecting to make a five-star dish.

How do I start?

One of the hardest things to do, particularly for a first-time writer, is to put the pen to the paper.

Think about this:  your unique handwriting, drawings, the colors you choose and the mementos you store in your journal tell a story about you. Your thoughts, dreams, and experiences have a home where you can return to later.

As a bonus, the more you use your journal, the more beautiful it becomes. The pristine pages will be gone, and your vision of the world and your life in it will emerge.  Your journal becomes an extension of you.

So, forget about keeping those pages neat and orderly.  Dive right in.

But, I’m still scared…

If you are still hesitant about making that first mark, here are a few suggestions to get you started.

1. On the first page, write down your favorite poem, lyric, quote or scripture. Or, draw a picture.
2. Take a pencil and using your nondominant hand gently scribble on the page.
3. Make a border around the page. The possibilities are endless.
4. Doodle on some pages, alternating between the top and bottom corners.
5. Draw four shapes. Write a word or two in each.  Can’t think of anything?  Describe the weather, or list what you see around you.
6. Draw the profile of a face, or silhouette of an image. Write inside the outline.
7. Plop watercolor lightly on every few pages. Be gentle and use a minimal amount of water.  Let the page dry before moving to another.  Also, the page will crinkle, so be mentally prepared.
8. Take a small paint brush and using either watercolor or watered-down acrylic paint, flick droplets of color onto the page.
9. Add stickers on random pages throughout the book. They will be a nice surprise when you eventually make it to that page.
10. If you have colored pencils, pens, markers or crayons on hand, write or draw with them. Try different color combinations and styles of writing.

Whether you’re a writer or an artist, there are many ways to break the anxiety of facing a blank page. You’re only limited to your imagination.

Now, get started.