You’re feeling inspired to create, you open up a brand-new canvas, tool of choice at the ready, and…nothing. You can’t bring yourself to make a mark on the page. In fact, there is anxiety about it. This, my friend, is Blank Canvas Syndrome.
Unfortunately, a lot of creatives experience this feeling at some point, and sometimes very
frequently. Occasionally it overlaps with Art Block, a.k.a. Creative Block , which you can read more about in this post. Whether you are a writer, artist, or other type of creative, the
presence of a blank canvas can be daunting.
1. Understanding Blank Canvas Syndrome
To conquer blank canvas syndrome, we need to understand it better. Blank Canvas Syndrome defined is:
A form of paralysis one can face as a creative when starting a new project.
Some common causes of Blank Canvas Syndrome can be due to fear, perfectionism, or a lack of inspiration. We’ll be covering some different ways to address each of these, and hopefully lead you towards making a mark on your blank canvas!
2. Strategies to Overcome the Fear
Fear can manifest from a few different sources. Fear of judgement, fear of failure, and even fear of success. Once you have identified your fear, it can be easier to develop a way to overcome it. You can adapt the following techniques for managing and reducing your particular fear.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a type of meditation that promotes focusing on your current feelings and
grounding yourself. Practicing mindfulness is a great way to hush the negative thoughts. and require your brain to focus on what is currently happening. You can do mindful walks, breathing, stretching and more.
Visualization
Visualizing goes a long way when you can physically see something you want every day. A
popular form of visualization is vision boards. The practice involves creating a visual of the
future you want, and putting it in a place where you can see it every day, thus encouraging you to think of it every day.
Alternatively, in the moment, you can practice visualizing yourself creating on your canvas
fearlessly, and imagining yourself progress through the piece you want to make.
Positive Affirmations
If you are looking for a way to rewire your brain, positive affirmations can work wonders! Pair it with being mindful to make an event bigger impact. Some positive affirmations you could say to yourself in the mirror are “I am flowing with creativity,” “I make marks on a blank canvas with ease,” “I embrace imperfection, and find beauty within it.” It may feel silly, and you might not believe it right away, but if you do it every day, over time you will notice that you don’t feel that way about it anymore, and you’ll find yourself fulfilling your affirmations.
3. Finding Inspiration
If you have a set routine for when you create and find the blank canvas still daunting, it could just be that you are lacking in inspiration. There are numerous sources where you can find inspiration, and not everything will be inspiring for everyone. Here are a few sources of inspiration that can get you started on curating your own.
Old pieces of work
Community challenges
Nature
Your own experiences
4. Practical Exercises
Sometimes you just need a bit of a boost to get the juices flowing. Warm-ups are a great way
to achieve this. This may be something like free writing/sketching where there are no
restraints, or using prompt lists to create something within that theme or restraint. You can
then use these to generate a new idea for what you are working or at least let you start your
new piece while already feeling creative. There are tons of different warm-ups online that you can try for your creative activity of choice. Try some out and find what works best for you!
5. Building Confidence
As a creator, confidence in your creative work is a vital characteristic to have. Without it, you can find yourself holding back and staring at a blank canvas. Small wins can be a great way to start establishing confidence in your work. As they build up, so does the confidence to keep going.
You can do similar with reflecting on past successes, but if those make you feel down, you’ll
need to address the way you are reflecting. “I can do it once, I can do it again!” feels a whole
lot more optimistic and confident than “I did it once, but I don’t think I could recreate that.”
Keep the cup half full, and soon you’ll fill up with confidence.
Building your skills can also help with confidence. If you don’t know what to create or how to create it, then pick something to practice instead. Practicing can enhance proficiency and help make yourself more confident in approaching an idea than spearheading it without.
6. Establishing a Support System
Support networks are so important for creatives. They are a great way to get feedback,
inspiration, and build connections with others. You’ll find that you aren’t alone with
experiencing blank canvas syndrome, and some people may even have more tips for how to
overcome it. They are also a great way to create some accountability for yourself. If there is
a group challenge, join in and finish your piece by the deadline! Need some help
brainstorming ideas? Throw some between you and another creative person. You’ll be
surprised at how much an idea can transform from basic to great! Need some guidance?
Chances are, there is someone you know with more experience that can give you some
direction.
Conclusion
Once you figure out what is the cause of your Blank Canvas Syndrome you can try out some of the approaches to overcome fear, find inspiration, perform practical exercises, build confidence and establish a support system.
The next time you find yourself experiencing Blank Canvas Syndrome, reflect on it and try out some of the tactics in this blog.
If you do something different, let me and others know in the comments!
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