The Blank Page

The bane of creation is the blank page. My artist friend tells me that the blank page haunts the minds of the visual artists as well as those of writers. But the blank page is not the enemy. The blank page is the lover waiting to be filled. Yet, more often than not, instead of caring, the blank page receives derisive remarks, ranting, ripping, crumpling, burning, even gum being shoved into its face. The blank page, for all its patience, is only rewarded with abuse. The blank page doesn’t mind being made into origami swans, but to be crumpled into a ball and thrown away after only receiving the slightest scratch of the pen upon its surface, is the greatest insult. The blank page is never allowed release. The blank page has fists slammed into it in the frustration of the creators impotence. Do not take your inability to perform out on the blank page! The blank page will do all it can to help you, like leaving great areas of open space upon which to spill your seeds of creation. Have I mentioned that the blank page is patient? No matter how long it has to wait, the blank page is your silent alley as you muse over what to scribble across its surface. The blank page is also a great confidant. It never gossips your secrets. Although, if someone does get hold of the page that is no longer blank, it is too honest not to share. This is where your responsibility to the page comes in. Once you have filled it with your words or pictures or whatever, you have changed the nature of the blank page and now you must care for it. The page cannot hide itself from prying eyes, but it will be silent if you stash it away. Also, the page (formerly known as the blank page) is too shy to announce to the world what you have written on it. You must send it out, read off of it and pass it along to friends. The blank page will be your partner, but you must live up to your side of the relationship or else you’ll find the poor page turning yellow and brittle with age before its time. Love your blank page and it will love you back.