The Blank Page… (and Party with Frank)
We all know that the fear of the unknown is one of the most notorious fears there is. But what of the fear of the blank page? The two could be siblings! Who cares about long-leggedy beasties and fang-filled fiends—they’re easy enough to bop over the head and succumb so pathetically to a sprinkling of garlic. I’m more interested in terrors faced specifically by creatives, and the blank page is one of the biggest doozies of them all, known to paralyze both writers and artists alike.
“The blank page?” some scoff. “If it scares you that much, just crumple it up and toss it away! Or spill some coffee on it. That’ll cure it of its blankness.”
Such is the typical reaction of noncreative types who simply don’t get it. We’ll leave them to garlic and head-bopping.
Well, you COULD crumple and toss it, but it might bite you in the process. How many monsters out there have no teeth but still have the ability to bite and draw blood (other than mosquitoes)? Not many. The blank page is a rare and nefarious sort of beast.
All it needs to do is sit there—and it weakens the knees and induces syncope in poor creatives. The fear of tainting that pristine sheet with the wrong word, the agony of drawing a line that looks like—what the heck IS that monstrosity, anyway? It’s too much for so many of us to bear. The intimidation and pressure it inflicts upon us can claim more victims per day than Dracula could drain in a year. Now that’s scary.
And the blank screen is even creepier, that fierce digital cyclops that glowers as it glows with that horrible cursor blinking like an emotionless, mechanical pulse. I can barely handle the blank screen, myself.
To the bravest of souls, the blank page is a canvas of limitless possibilities, a window to freedom.
Good for them, grumbles those who still wrestle to work up the courage to take that page and destroy it.
So many don’t realize it’s okay to mess it up. Heck, it’s even ENCOURAGED!
One of the culprits that brings this on is that old tyrant, perfectionism. It can be a good thing when working on the finishing touches of a project. But at its start? It can prevent you from accomplishing anything! The blank page plus beginner’s perfection is a dangerous combination!
So… DOWN WITH PERFECTIONISM! DRIVE A STAKE THROUGH ITS MISERABLE HEART! LET IT HOLD US BACK NO LONGER!
But the blank page will never tell us that. It wants us to think otherwise. To make us sweat and tremble is to make the blank page laugh.
Once you mess it up, it won’t reprimand you. The screen will (it always has its own idiotic opinions that it can never hold back), but the page is always more brutal when left untouched.
Still, I implore you—MESS IT UP. Make mistakes freely. Write silly words. Draw lopsided monsters. Don’t let the blank page have dominion over you. Who cares if you start out horribly! The only way to get better is to wreck that blank page again and again and again.
Someday you’ll surprise yourself and find something splendid on it.
In the meantime, be brave.
And be generous with the garlic—just to be on the safe side.
Also… Happy Frankenstein Friday!
One of the things that amuses me about Frankenstein is the plethora of versions floating around out there. Not only are there all of those [mostly horrible, some entertaining] movies, but there are also the solo-Mary and Mary/Percy versions of the novel. And then there are so many styles and interpretations of the creature himself. I’m a fan of Bernie Wrightson’s creature, which is a truer-to-Shelley interpretation than the James Whale version, but I’ve learned to accept the fact that the Karloff-creature will always be the most recognizable version to most of society.
Not familiar with the work of Bernie Wrightson? I recommend the graphic novel, Frankenstein: Alive, Alive!
Frankenstein is a book that is near and dear to me. Not only did it play a large role in inspiring me to turn from writing epic fantasy to fiction of a more gothic, mad-sciencey variety, but it also (in a kerflunkity, round-around way) helped me to toughen up and face my medical fears, as I was extremely phobic of anything related to medicine for the first 20 years of my life. This can be especially rough for someone with health issues.
Conquering fear is always a blessing. I’ve come to regard Halloween as a weird sort of “Kick Fear in the Butt” Day. I never thought being scared was fun. But overcoming it—now THAT is exhilarating and freeing!
I cannot forget—HAPPY FOUNTAIN PEN DAY! Okay, I’m a little bit early for that, as Fountain Pen Day falls on November 1st this year. It’d be a shame for me to miss that! I decided to draw another creature to celebrate. Why can’t the creature like fountain pens? I went with my more typical cartoony-style this time, still a bit Wrightson-inspired (except far more cheerful)… but for some reason when I look at this, all I can think is “zombie.” I tried. My deepest apologies Mr. Creature Sir. I’ll try to make up for it next year. In the meantime, I need to wreck some more blank pages—and practice what I preach.
Have fun playing with pens, hunting down new ones, or whatever it is you like to do for Fountain Pen Day. As for me, it’s really just business as usual.
Stay safe & don’t get too inky!
