Have you ever stared at a blank page for an entire 10 minutes and come up with nothing?
I know I have.
Every time I am traveling or working I always come up with a topic for which I can say, “I am gonna write about this!”
That is why, after finishing up everything I need to do for the day, I sit in front of my laptop or my writing notes to write something about the topic.
And end up writing nothing.
I read some of the suggestions from other writers here on Medium, and those are really helpful.
One suggestion I’ve read is to write down all the ideas on the spot. For example, when I think of an idea I write it down on my phone immediately and will get back to it when I have a chance.
Another one is just to write anything I am seeing and start from there.
Both are really helpful in writing my other blogs published here…
…although sometimes I can’t keep myself from the fear of looking on a blank canvas.
This blank page seems like a pretty nice white space.
Bliss.
Once I put my words into it, it will change — for the better or for the worse — just like our lives.
Our lives feel like unknown pages of a book. There are moments that we want to be our ‘happy ever after’.
A graduation day, wedding day, finally having our own house or having a family of our own.
But that is not the case. Every day, we are facing a blank page.
This blank page scares me a lot.
I could mess it up. This day might end up being the worst.
If only I can stop the time and let the day be undone. Let it be blank forever.
Sadly, again, that is not the case.
Fear freezes us, and sometimes we forget a little detail inside our hearts.
A detail from God that we need to remember:
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
(Joshua 1:9, NIV)
We need courage every time we are afraid.
Fear freezes us. Courage contemplates.
Courage makes us think of the possibilities. It gives us a plan to comfort us.
Fear might not be absent, but we do it anyway because of courage.
One thing that I need today for my blank page is courage.
However, I need more than courage to make the most of the day — to make this day a better day than yesterday.
What I need is my creativity. This is where I will put my courage.
Creativity is the dream I’ve always wondered about. Creativity pursues a greater road ahead.
This is the promise I give to myself.
When my creative thoughts kick in, they are unstoppable weirdness all over.
That thing is what I am scared about. What if, with a lot of courage, my creativity goes wild and messes up everything? At that moment, my fear can look straight into my eyes and say, “I told you so.”
Meaning, aside from courage and creativity, I also need self-control. Use it to align my creativity so it can have its order. Not to oppress it, but to make it clearer for the readers.
Self-control supports the distance from my current spot to where my creativity is looking.
While my creativity looks into the future, my self-control looks at every step where I am now.
Courage.
Creativity.
Self-control.
These are the primary colors to paint on my blank canvas called life.
In the end, I will look into my day and will be needing one more thing.
Acceptance.
Accepting that I gave my best. That, with all the colors, it may be imperfect but still beautiful.
Acceptance is like the frame that says, even though it is not one of my best, still it deserves to be remembered as one of my days.
One thing is for sure, I love writing. Whether I am writing technical blogs for my current job as a web developer or writing biblical blogs for a hobby, I can still see myself enjoying sharing my thoughts on a blank page.
Same with life. I love the life that the Lord has given to me.
I can still see myself enjoying painting my blank pages with important colors in my life.
Blank pages can be scary, but I am more scared of the missed opportunity and that the blank pages remain blank for the rest of my life.
