How do you start a new creative project?
When you face the blank page, you are scared as hell
Maybe this has happened to you:
You have decided to start a new creative project.
You feel inspired and excited.
You get your working tools in front of you.
You establish your working station.
And then…
You are stuck!
Facing the White Page
You feel paralyzed.
You do not know where to start.
You had tons of ideas for this.
You still have tons of ideas.
But, here you are.
Feeling stuck and feeling anxious.
There is a white page in front of you.
You do not know where to start.
You feel the terror.
You are afraid of making mistakes.
The more you feel anxious, the more you procrastinate.
Your brain is stuck in a defensive and over-critical mode.
You have a negative voice in your head telling you how you are worthless, your ideas are worthless, how you are miserable, how you cannot change anything, and a hundred reasons why this will not work.
Of course, you then escape the white page because it is the rational thing to do.
You surely have better things to spend your time on.
Suddenly, everything becomes more attractive to you — cleaning up, washing the dishes, checking your emails, and social media accounts…
So, you stop and procrastinate.
I will continue another time you convince yourself.
Another battle lost.
Every artist I know of experiences feelings like this.
In fact, every professor, every entrepreneur, every professional experiences a moment like this.
Whenever you are starting something new, you feel terrified.
This is the fear of the unknown.
The fear of uncertainty.
The fear of the risk of failure.
That is why you need to conquer it.
The best way to conquer it is by acting fast.
Your medicine is to move
You need to do something positive in a couple of seconds.
It does not matter what you do.
You just take a small action towards your vision or your project.
It does not matter how small an action you take.
It still works.
Mel Robbins calls this rule “5 Seconds Rule”.
Please watch her talk — it is very inspiring and motivational:
So, let’s come back to the white page.
Perhaps you will write something new.
Or, you will create something new.
Perhaps you will draw or doodle or paint.
How do you face the white page?
Here is my approach for tackling the white page ahead of me.
Surviving and thriving the white page
How do you face the white page ahead of you?
You know that you need to move fast.
How do you do that?
What is the mindset that is helpful and productive?
Please look at my poster below for some insights and strategies.
Now, having looked at these strategies and insights, which ones are particularly useful to you?
What will you do next time when you face the white page?
Please write down your own strategies.
To help you apply these principles at the micro-level, here is a drawing exercise for you (below).
Exercise: Start doodling on a white page
You will now start doodling or drawing automatically.
Bring a fresh page and a writing device (pen or pencil) in front of you.
I want you to practice doodling or drawing immediately.
Do not worry about the result.
Do not worry about the mess you will make.
Just draw or doodle.
Move your hand.
In fact, if you are having difficulty, just close your eyes and move your hand over the paper.
Just do random doodles without looking at them.
You can do this for 1 minute.
Then, open your eyes.
What do you see?
Are there any patterns or shapes that attract your attention?
Anything that calls you or attracts you? Or a familiar shape?
Go over those patterns and underline them.
Build them further.
Try to turn this into an abstract art piece.
Do not try too hard — just 5 minutes is enough.
Now, please give a title to your artwork.
You can also think of multiple titles and make a list of them.
Whenever you are stuck, do something messy.
Move your hands and they will guide you.
Mistakes are OK.
Ugly is fine.
Chaos is excellent.
Chaos is your friend.
Uncertainty is your friend — you will face adventures on the page if you do not know where you are going.
Please do the exercise now.
Life is non-linear, messy, and chaotic — and all is fine
Not knowing where you are going is underrated.
Sometimes, you need to get lost. — Fahri Karakas
If you know what you will do, where is the fun in that?
Where is all the wonder, and all the mystery?
Life is a wonderful journey because we do not know what is to come.
It is thrilling, exciting, terrifying, and adventurous because we are absolutely oblivious to what will happen next.
I hope you enjoyed this mindset.
Sincerely;
Fahri