Do you ever feel a great rush of excitement when you buy a new sketchbook?
But then a sudden dread casts over you like a dark cloud when you open that new sketchbook and you’re confronted by the blank paper?
The dread and discomfort you feel is the fear of the blank page.
It’s a common phenomenon in the art community, so it’s normal to struggle sometimes when getting started with a new sketchbook.
I’ve faced and overcome this creative block, so today I’m helping you overcome this fear by sharing with you:
- The root causes that create the fear of the blank page
- 5 simple tips to help you conquer a blank page or start a new sketchbook
- How simple modifications to your creative routine can lessen resistance and encourage creativity
By the time you’re done reading, you’ll understand how to apply these tips to your creative routine so you can overcome blank page anxiety and start creating confidently.
Table of Contents
What is the Fear of the Blank Page?
Before I share the solutions, you first need to understand what causes artists distress when they’re confronted with a blank page.
Once you understand the root problem, it’s easier to apply the solutions.
At its core, the fear of the blank page is a mental block. This mental block often manifests as fear, stress, and anxiety, which are heavy emotional states that block your creativity.
As a consequence, blocked artists often suffer from one or more of the following:
- Fear of the Unknown: The blank page is intimidating because the artist doesn’t feel safe exploring their inner world through artistic self-expression
- Fear of Failure: The artist struggles with self-esteem and/or self-doubt, which makes them afraid to make mistakes
- Criticism and Judgement: The artist is wary of creating art because they’re afraid of having their art criticized, or they’re too harsh with their own self-judgement
- Perfectionism: Many artists suffer from perfectionism, which results in rigid thinking, analysis paralysis, and having unrealistic or high standards. All of this puts unnecessary pressure on their creative output
- Procrastination: The artist finds excuses to not create art in order to avoid the feelings of fear and anxiety which are induced by the blank page
Now that you understand where the fear of the blank page stems from, you can approach it with gentleness, compassion, and understanding.
The next step is to, as Susan Jeffers famously said, “Feel the fear and do it anyway.”
5 Tips to Overcome the Fear of the Blank Page
Overcoming blank page anxiety can be done by making a few adjustments to your creative routine.
The goal is to relieve mental pressure so you can overcome the fear, anxiety, and stress that is causing resistance.
Here are 5 tips that were taken from my own experience confronting and overcoming the fear of creating art on a blank page.
1. Destroy the Blank Page
If you suffer from perfectionism, the fear of failure, or self-criticism, one of the best ways to relieve mental pressure is to destroy the blank page.
Scribble all over it. Splash random watercolours on the paper. Wreck the paper with ink blotches.
This is one of the fastest ways to calm the mind so you can start creating with more ease.
2. Draw or Paint in a Small Sketchbook
Switching to a smaller sketchbook means you have less space to fill up.
Therefore, reducing the size of the paper makes each page feel more accessible, easier to fill up, and faster to complete.
Each completed page gives your brain a mental win, which improves your self-esteem.
3. Have A Short Time Investment
Reduce your art-making time to an interval that’s manageable and easy to commit to.
For example, set a timer for 5, 10, or 15 minutes.
Creating art in shorter increments allows you to build up mental stamina that’ll allow you to create art for longer periods of time in the future.
4. Get Drawing and Painting Ideas
If you’re struggling with art block or you’re in a creative rut, one of the easiest ways to make art is to have a list of creative ideas prepared beforehand.
Then, when you sit down to create, you simply pick an idea and get started. It’s really that easy!
Having the creative ideas prepared beforehand frees up mental bandwidth and energy that you can pour into your artwork.
In this way, you don’t have time to encounter the fear of the blank page because you know the exact steps you need to take to start creating. There’s no guesswork.
If you want to unlock your imagination and reclaim your creativity, download my free list of 100 drawing and painting ideas. The list is linked below.
5. Sit With the Discomfort
One of the best ways to dissolve fear is to face it straight on.
Yes, it feels uncomfortable at first. But as you sit with the discomfort, the resistance slowly fades away.
When you dissolve the fear and anxiety, you’re able to create more freely because the heavy emotional load no longer blocks your creativity.
Conclusion
Now that you understand the root causes of fear of the blank page, you can approach your sketchbook with greater compassion.
Art is, in my opinion, as much a mental game as it is a creative outlet.
So if you’re struggling with blank page anxiety, start out by choosing the tip on this list that resonated with you the most.
The next time you sit down to create, apply that tip to your creative routine. You’ll be glad you did!
Miranda Balogh
Artist & Online Educator
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