The (Not Always) Fine Print - Vol. 6

Why the blank page isn't always the enemy...

I’m not gonna lie, this week hasn’t been easy. Not because of anything specific, but maybe because two weeks of annual leave are on the horizon, making time drag slower than Christmas Eve for a six-year-old.

What I can say with certainty, is that the creative spark I usually experience that results in me writing this weekly blog post didn’t come. I’ve been staring at a blank page for so long, it’s starting to feel like performance art.

In the end, I started writing as a type of catharsis more than anything and as these words leave my fingertips, I’m not entirely sure where this entry in the (Not Always) Fine Print lore is going.

If it turns out well, then take it as a sign that if you’re facing similar challenges, you can make it through the other side. Maybe not with your sanity fully intact, but through, nonetheless.

The black page effect

Some 20 minutes ago, I was in a seemingly unwinnable battle with a blinking cursor. Staring at so much white I could’ve forgiven myself for thinking I’d stumbled into a Reform conference.

If that ever happens, somebody has opened the gate to the Upside Down and I’ve been possessed by a Mind Flayer. (Yes, I’m rewatching Stranger Things ahead of the final season dropping next month, sue me…)

It took me back to my university days, staring at my laptop with nothing but an essay title and a whole lot of nothing. Aside from the impending doom that I’d yet again combined a looming deadline with a crippling hangover. Psychological warfare and Jagerbombs are not a wise mix.

In truth, sometimes the idea of writing is harder than the writing itself. You just need to find that piece of inspiration to get the creativity flowing again.

When creativity goes missing

Whether you’re a fellow blogger, a full-time creative writer or a student, you’ll no doubt remember the fear of creativity disappearing quicker than the stingy friend when it’s their round at the pub.

Don’t beat yourself up. There are all sorts of reasons why that spark leaves us. It could be burnout at work. It could be stress at home. It could even be your surroundings. Take my first PR agency for example. We were situated in a concrete jungle of a business park on the outskirts of Bristol. For a city known for artistic expression, it couldn’t have been less inspiring if Coldplay curated the in-office playlist.

The unexpected inspiration

I’ve realised over the years, inspiration tends to come when you least expect it. It could be a lyric that hits different while on your commute home on a packed train. A tweet when you’re doom-scrolling in bed. Even a random thought that hits you in the shower like a freight train.

What’s certain is the streak always ends and the spark always wins. For me, I was considering giving up for the evening when Spotify decided to play Blank Page by The Smashing Pumpkins. If you’re unfamiliar…

“Blank page was all the rage, never meant to say anything. In bed I was half dead, tired of dreaming of rest.”

I admit, not the most light-hearted of inspirations but I took it as a sign. I hadn’t queued up the track, it played directly after the album I was listening to finished. Clearly, the Spotify Gods (who, as a side note, I put more faith in than organised religions) were trying to tell me that writers block was the creativity I needed.

So here I am, writing about struggling to find inspiration to write. It’s like a version of Inception that Leo would turn down immediately… even if his pal Scorsese was directing.

We made it!

At the risk of sounding like the end of an episode of Sesame Street, I’ve learned something this week. The blank page isn’t the enemy. It’s a necessary part of the process.

The struggle of putting pen to virtual paper is just proof that you care about your writing. If you didn’t, you’d churn out any old rubbish and settle for ‘good enough.’

It’s also important to acknowledge that not having a brilliantly creative idea in your arsenal some days is completely normal. I’m sure even Banksy has days where he just sits at home, deciding what to watch on Netflix.

So, if you’re staring down your own blank page this week, just remember; even writer’s block has an expiry date. Much like that yogurt I definitely shouldn’t have eaten yesterday.