Facing the Blank Page

By: Bonnie Christine

Story Adapted From Pattern Magazine – Volume 3

Pattern Magazine is Bonnie Christine's quarterly print and digital publication for surface pattern designers, artists, and creative entrepreneurs who believe that how you live shapes what you make. This story first appeared in Volume 3, Begin Again, the winter 2026 issue.

Eight tips to help you overcome the daunting blank page.

You flip through your sketchbook and come to a fresh page. It’s blank. The possibilities are endless. What will you create? You pull out your pencil, ready to start. But then you hesitate. The feeling of overwhelm sets in. The immense possibilities make you pause. You want to begin; you’re ready to begin. But the thought of starting feels heavy, weighty, too much.

Don’t worry: beginning is truly the most challenging part of any creative process. Once you put one mark on the page, another and then another...ideas will flow. Here are eight tips to help you overcome the daunting blank page.

Try these the next time you need to face this (oh so familiar) challenge.

1. Let’s Just Start Simply

Begin with squiggles, basic shapes, and generic doodles. It’s much less intimidating than trying to create an intricate design from the outset.

2. Trash These First Drawings

Sometimes it helps to mentally agree that you’ll throw away the first three pages you draw on. If they’re seen as “trash,” it reduces the pressure. This mental trick works wonders, and nine times out of ten, you’ll end up keeping several ideas from those initial pages.

3. This Is Only for You

Remember, no one has to see your work. Take the pressure off yourself. You don’t have to show your sketchbook to anyone or post it on social media. Use this time to experiment freely.

4. It’s Just a Pencil

While pens give nice, clean lines that scan well, they can feel a bit too permanent when you’re drawing. To help your hand flow more freely, start with a pencil and later trace over your sketches with a drawing tablet or a pen and lightbox.

5. Steal from Yourself

Open an old sketchbook and pull forward an idea you’ve previously explored. Maybe you re-sketch a pattern you loved or draw inspiration from an old photo you tucked away.

6. Get Those Muscles Moving

Do a warm-up exercise to get your creativity flowing. Draw ten squares and give yourself three minutes to transform each square into a different object. It takes five minutes and it’s fun...not to mention it works!

7. Add a Constant

Limit your choices to one color, one shape, or one theme. Restricting yourself can often unlock your creativity and help you take action.

8. Experiment with an Unusual Tool

Try using a sponge, a Q-tip, a feather, or even your non-dominant hand. Engaging with new tools can break the cycle of perfectionism. Novelty breaks perfectionism.

Perhaps the page isn’t looking quite so “blank” anymore. 

Wanting More?

This story comes from Volume 3 of Pattern Magazine, Begin Again. The whole winter issue, with every story and photograph, is at bonniechristine.com/patternmagazine.