I don't really know how to begin this post. Usually I have a few ideas that could be elegantly written to my gracious readers, but this time I have drawn a blank. It's an empty paper sitting amidst the mad scribbled notes of a man who thinks too much. The thoughts are there, they would just rather occupy space that is relevant only to the man who wrote them, instead of to the audience he wishes they would entertain.
Coaxing these thoughts to arrange themselves nicely in an organized blog post is like asking a lion to nicely fit into the cage you built for it. It may saunter over to the bars and sniff a bit, but will refuse to enter. Thoughts in their natural habitat are not meant to be contained in static words, but in fluid consciousness. They flutter and flow around the internal workings of my mind until I grab one and speak it aloud. Then they enter into the mind of another individual and enjoy the same way of life.
But paper, even a white page consisting of code, is different. Within these four corners is a cell meant to hold something truly infinite. Words are only a representation of what a thought could mean, not the entirety of the thought itself. By writing out this estimation of thought, I can encapsulate it well enough to show you what I'm thinking. Not everything I'm thinking of course, or you'd be driven crazy by the scribbles on my walls.
It's kind of funny how this post started off as a blank page, but is now turning into something unique. What started off as a post devoid of a preconceived idea is now hosting a thought that relates to those of us who get frustrated drawing a blank. So the question is, what exactly is drawing a blank? Is it the feeling you get when you cannot release the thoughts pent up in your head? Or, is it the belief that there are times when your mind is empty and therefore unable to conjure up a thought to communicate?
What if drawing a blank was something else entirely? What if it actually opens the door to creativity instead of shutting it? There are times when organization is necessary, such as the development of a large scale creative endeavor like a film or a stage production, but where do you think those ideas came from? The best ideas don't show themselves to crowds. An idea is a shy creature that only reveals itself to those of us that are tuned into the natural flow of our innate creativity. You cannot force it to come out of hiding. Especially if you yell at it.
Drawing a blank is not the process of presenting nothing to an audience expecting something from you. It is the calm silence used as bait to attract a new idea. When I started writing this blog, I had no ideas. I tried ripping the scribbled thoughts off of the wall in my mind and pasting them onto this piece of paper, but I failed. It sounded forced and insincere. No one would have enjoyed reading those thoughts, because they were prisoners to my unbending desire for immediate results.
By drawing that blank, I gave an open invitation to the idea I am currently writing. But, I had to take the initial step. In order to fully express this idea, I had to write the first sentence. Each keystroke had to have the intent of letting the idea present itself in this post, not as a whip cracking at the thoughts in my mind to align themselves. I didn't try forcing the lion into a cage, but instead approached the lion in it's natural habitat, where it felt free. Then, in order to capture a snapshot of it, I fed it the diet it craved.
Ideas crave the opportunity to reveal themselves to a willing listener. They wander around looking for someone to pay them attention, but too scared of the abuse an untrained mind subjects them to. An untrained mind tries to capture the entirety of a thought, instead of an artistic impression that represents it. Our thoughts, especially the elusive creativity we seek, do not like our feeble attempts to hold them in our cells. Instead, they should be referenced and revered.
So, next time you feel like you're drawing a blank, remember this. Don't let time sensitive deadlines and other pressures disturb the peace in your mind. Chaos is the enemy of creativity. Instead, remain calm and venture out into the wilderness of whimsy. Drawing a blank is not a lack of vision, creative talent or discipline.
It is the silent invitation for true creativity to reveal itself.
What if drawing a blank was something else entirely? What if it actually opens the door to creativity instead of shutting it? There are times when organization is necessary, such as the development of a large scale creative endeavor like a film or a stage production, but where do you think those ideas came from? The best ideas don't show themselves to crowds. An idea is a shy creature that only reveals itself to those of us that are tuned into the natural flow of our innate creativity. You cannot force it to come out of hiding. Especially if you yell at it.
Drawing a blank is not the process of presenting nothing to an audience expecting something from you. It is the calm silence used as bait to attract a new idea. When I started writing this blog, I had no ideas. I tried ripping the scribbled thoughts off of the wall in my mind and pasting them onto this piece of paper, but I failed. It sounded forced and insincere. No one would have enjoyed reading those thoughts, because they were prisoners to my unbending desire for immediate results.
By drawing that blank, I gave an open invitation to the idea I am currently writing. But, I had to take the initial step. In order to fully express this idea, I had to write the first sentence. Each keystroke had to have the intent of letting the idea present itself in this post, not as a whip cracking at the thoughts in my mind to align themselves. I didn't try forcing the lion into a cage, but instead approached the lion in it's natural habitat, where it felt free. Then, in order to capture a snapshot of it, I fed it the diet it craved.
Ideas crave the opportunity to reveal themselves to a willing listener. They wander around looking for someone to pay them attention, but too scared of the abuse an untrained mind subjects them to. An untrained mind tries to capture the entirety of a thought, instead of an artistic impression that represents it. Our thoughts, especially the elusive creativity we seek, do not like our feeble attempts to hold them in our cells. Instead, they should be referenced and revered.
So, next time you feel like you're drawing a blank, remember this. Don't let time sensitive deadlines and other pressures disturb the peace in your mind. Chaos is the enemy of creativity. Instead, remain calm and venture out into the wilderness of whimsy. Drawing a blank is not a lack of vision, creative talent or discipline.
It is the silent invitation for true creativity to reveal itself.
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