It’s kinda like trying to figure out the first drawing in a sketchbook. You just stare at the blank page, maybe you’re a bit scared of ruining the thing, maybe a bit unsure what would make a first piece of art to put in. I mean, this is the first thing people see when they open up your sketchbook, the introduction to your well of creativity. At the same time, it’s only the first page, and most people flip through the book fairly casually.

I, like many, like to call the struggle “Blank Canvas Syndrome”, and it’s a very common struggle amongst the creatives. I think it’s a combo of decision paralysis and overthinking. On the one hand, it’s a struggle of just deciding which way to start. “Do I make a skeleton?” “Do I freehand it?” “Start with shapes?” “What pose should I use?” So many choices, but you gotta pick one if you’re gonna start making something. On the other hand, there’s far too much thinking about every aspect all at once, and it ends up just short-circuiting the thinking process making it all feel a bit overwhelming.

So, how do you fight against this? Everyone’s got their own way, from throwing scribbles everywhere, to throwing the entire book. For me, it’s all about just turning my brain off and jumping in the deep end. Instead of giving myself a chance to even think about things, I just take my pencil and start hashing down lines. I mean, before I even start, I do have at least an idea of what I want to draw, but I let the art come out of the paper, rather than try to plan it all out. It’s the most annoying piece of advice, because it’s right on the verge of “just do it, forehead”. But it’s the thing that works for me, and if you struggle with Blank Canvas Syndrome, you’ll find your own strategy to fight it.

Anyways, welcome to my blog. Kinda like this post, I’ll be using this space to get what’s in my head out of my head, but also to share processes, tutorials, explorations, character profiles, and maybe even little stories. Basically whatever comes to mind, I’ll likely eventually make a post about. Some will be fairly short, like this one, and some will be quite lengthy.