Open space, and what to do with it.

Hello world! It's me, Beth. As I write, I find myself suffering from the dreaded 'open space' that every writer confronts at one time or another. It's that moment when you know you've got something to say, but you're just not sure what that thing is, or how to best express it. It's that moment when the white page in front of you seems to contain almost too much possibility. It's that moment when any choking start doesn't seem 'good enough'. You want to get it perfect; you don't want to settle for 'good enough'.

I count this 'open space' as one of the greatest demons in my writing life but also one of the greatest blessings. With this space comes an invitation to create; what stops us in our tracks is the decision to accept that invitation, because we don't yet know what the journey is going to look like. We have two options: stay safe at home and brush aside that nagging desire to create (one more tired time); or, to take up the invitation that's being offered to us and to venture forth, fear in hand, and simply see where we end up.

Yes, what we create could be garbage. It could be mediocre. It could be 'fine enough'. Yes, it could also be joyful and brilliant. I'd like to argue that one isn't better than the other. I'd like to argue that BOTH are worthwhile endpoints, because both lead to discovery. Both were achieved by accepting an invitation despite fear. Both teach us something -- what works, what doesn't work. Both lead us closer, inch by inch, to ourselves.

Julia Cameron, author of The Artist's Way, puts it like this: "Progress, not perfection, is what we should be asking of ourselves."

Or consider the words of Anne Lamott, in her essay "Shitty First Drafts": "You need to start somewhere. Start by getting something—anything—down on paper."

Begin where you are. Stare down the white wall that confronts you, and know that the only weapon you have against it are your words. At the very least, at the end of the day, you can say proudly, 'I wrote today'. (Even if that writing lies in torn strips at the bottom of the kitchen garbage can.)

One of the goals of bethhunter.org is to help writers confront the terrible, frozen-finger producing, joy-provoking, soul-exploring art of putting words on paper. In this space, I hope you'll find encouragement to face down the 'open space' each day, and to write onward. I'll be facing that space right along with you. I'll do my best to offer weekly inspiration, prompts to get your words flowing, practical tips for improving the words you want to keep, and connection to a community of like-minded individuals.

Welcome, and thanks for reading.

-Beth

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