How do you feel about a blank page? We often talk about the terror of a blank, white page, but what about the possibility? I love this poem from Jacqueline Woodson because it reminds me that a blank page can be seen in more than one way. It reminds me that writing is a sensory activity with sound and texture and smell. How might you reframe your next blank white page?
Try This:
- Take out a blank piece of paper and a freshly sharpened pencil.
- Close your eyes. Notice the smell of your pencil and the space around you. Feel the texture of the paper under your fingers, and the ridges along your pencil.
- Along each of the four edges of the page, make a border of texture, sound, smell and emotional adjectives.
- Then, challenge yourself to use as many of the words in your border as you can in the draft you create on the page.
And don’t forget! Your adjectives can inspire your fellow creators! Share them below, or tag me on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.
