Staring at blank page can be a terrifying thing for a writer. A moment of fear. Hesitation. Paralysis.

How many times have you sat down in front of the Macbook or a piece of paper, fingers on keyboard or pen in hand, and just stared helplessly at the crispy white page or empty screen?

Me too.

Most writers have faced the blank page with much trepidation. You aren’t the first. You won’t be the last.

But the blank page has magic and power in it. It’s filled with hope and opportunity. Dreams and stories that can be woven together like a dance on the sea shore in the moonlit sky.

The blank page. As writers we face it at the start of a new project. A new chapter. A blog post.

It’s a daily battle.

A demon we must overcome to move forward.

But there’s much beauty in the blank page, as much as there is terror.

The beauty lies in the unknown.

Like a painter creates magic with colour, we as writers add colour with our words. It’s beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

Maybe that’s why creativity is so attractive. Two sides of one coin. We choose how we perceive. We decide which side determines who we are. 

It’s cold now where I sit. The sun gently warms my back in the early spring morning. She woman at the table besides me flicks through the morning paper. The barista converses with the locals. The patrons all seem to know each other. I’ve ordered a latte, my head still fuzzy from last night’s wine and degustation dinner. I’m not sure I want the coffee but sitting here without one feels odd. 

Where was I? Right, the beauty of the blank page. 

Facing the blank page is the beginning of an extraordinary journey with an unknown destination. Yes, that can be scary but also invigorating. We can discover where we are going just like the reader will discover as they read. 

We have the power to create something from nothing. 

The blank page becomes our canvas to empower, motivate, lift, educate and entertain.

There are no rules. 

It’s your page. Your words. Your journey. 

Fear it. Love it. Loathe it. Embrace it.

Each day in our life is like a blank page.

We can fill it with sitting on the couch binging on chips and Netflix. We can get to know our neighbours. Volunteer our time for a cause we support. Start a business. Write a book. Change a life. Or just live groundhog day.

It’s up to you.

The words are up to you too. You have a million or so at your disposal.

You decide in how you fill your page, whether that’s the one you’re sitting in front of, or the one you’re living. 

Sometimes the words flow with ease. Other times they’re a slog through muddy fields. 

Nothing worth having, doing, achieving, ever came easy. If it did we’d all be doing it. 

The blank page is your playground. 

Take the pressure off. Have fun with it. 

Create something spectacular. 

You only need to know the first word. The rest will come, one step at a time.

How do you feel about the blank page? Has the blank page ever stopped you from writing? How did you overcome it?

Related: 3 Things You Must Do To Become a Better Writer
27 Ideas to Write About When Writer’s Block Threatens