Fear of the Blank Page is called atelodemiourgiopapyrophobia

Nothing is worse for a creative person that to be stuck with nowhere to start. Now the fear of imperfect creation has a name. Atelodemiourgiopapyrophobia! Say that ten times fast. Basically, it is the fear that whatever you create will have inherent imperfections so much so that it is "better" not to commit such imperfect creations to paper (or digital composition). I've had this just a few times, but usually only as a result of abject exhaustion. Like, really super tired brain that probably could not have completed even a 50 piece puzzle kind of tired. However, for others this is a reality that happens regularly at the beginning of new stories or new segments/chapters of stories. It may happen when you are creating your initial outline or fleshing out a character brief for the first time. Some of my more artistically oriented friends (illustrators, painters, sculptors and composers) say the same thing happens to them when they look at a blank canvas, a block of wood or stone, a lump of clay or a fresh score. Anytime when something feels "new" and divorced from prior creations. Fortunately, there are lots of ways to deal with this. Some methods are old school and some are very new. You'll just have to figure out which works for you.

1.) Everything Old is New Again - Take out one of your finished creations and create a variation on the same theme. This is often why successful authors create series with recurring locations or characters. It saves you time to not have to create an entire world, or scenario from scratch for every creation. It is also the reason that many artists will do a "series" of paintings or sculptures. This is often called a "study" of whatever it is because they attack the subject from various angles or in differing mediums. If this goes on for a long time it may eventually be call a "period" in that artists career. Like the "Blue Period" for Picasso (1901-1904 AD.).

2.) I've got an 8 Track Mind - Years ago 8 tracks of music all mixed together to make one song was a wonder. the number kept escalating ever since the Beatles took over Abbey Road with their mind bending looped tracks and other tricks under the guiding hand of genius engineer and producer George Martin. Now a song could have 100 or more separate tracks to be mixed down into the hit song that has become an ear worm. You can do something similar with your own creative pursuits. Start everything and switch channels every time you that atelodemiourgiopapyrophobia creeping up on you when you make a new chapter. Have a short story, a novel, a script and a poem all percolating at he same time. Work in charcoal, pastels and digital all at the same time and rotate between them. It may take longer to complete any one project, as your time is divided, but it better than sitting there and doing nothing as your brain melts with frustration.

3.) When in Doubt Steal it - There is a whole market for Fan fiction for a reason. Well, multiple reasons. People feel that stories that have already been told are insufficient or poorly executed. The "I could do better" syndrome. Or the fan just loves the IP (Intellectual Property) so much that they need more before the actual author/creator can produce. This is a similar process to using reference to paint something. Observe how someone else has done something and "copy" it. The key here though is that you know it is not purely "yours". How you credit your inspiration, when needed, will vary by situation and medium. At the very least, when you accept that prestigious award you shoudl mention that son and so inspired your creation. There is a great example of using someone else's work to prime your pump. If you have not watched it yet and you consider yourself an author, shame on you. Finish reading this post and then watch Finding Forrester starring Sean Connery, Anna Paquin, Rob Brown and F. Murray Abraham. I won's spoil the movie for you folks that have not watched it, but a major plot revolves around one person using another's work for inspiration and how important attribution of that inspiration really can be.

3a.) Use a Computer to Steal it - This one doesn't really deserve it's own number because it really is just a modernization of the former inspiration stealing method that employs artificial intelligence (AI). Unless you have been in a deep dark cave for the last five or six years, you have seen AI explode all over the world and in some cases it ignites controversy. In my last post, I let Chat GPT write about the E component of the MICE quotient and the blog was pretty good. It lacked some of my humor, but it got the job done. Just like taking a piece of writing or a painting that inspires you and using it as a springboard (Really, watch Finding Forrester already.). You can ask an AI like Chat GPT or Starryai or Midjourney to create something based on your key words or instructions and use that to break that blank page/canvas, etc. Just remember, AI does not truly create. What it does is use its immense computational power to cull through existing knowledge and expression all around the world to cobble together something that is close to the prompts you provided. It does not credit its sources like you would in a term paper nor provide a list to you as the end user with a list for attribution, so be careful or you may find yourself in the same awkward position as Jamal Wallace. (Still have not watched the movie? Really?) The slippery slope of AI is out there. Big publishers and universities are watching for it. Certain markets have requirements for AI use disclosures or prohibit AI generated content entirely. So use it at your own risk. Also be careful what you feed to the AI and don't do it after midnight or we'll have Skynet activating and multiply in water before you know it. (Yeah that was a mixed and random Terminator and Gremlins reference, get over it and watch Finding Forrester.)

Not sure what will come to mind in the next blog, but I know if I have any trouble avoiding atelodemiourgiopapyrophobia, I will look back here to my own advice. 

Until next time - Get to creating!