The Blank Page Syndrome

for Retail News Magazine 10/2022

Pure White—Waiting for Content—Intimidating and Challenging. Many of Us Know That Crippling Feeling: Where to Begin? What to Write?

“Nothing listens as intently and attentively as a blank page.”— Anonymous

Blank Page Syndrome is a very common—though unpleasant—phenomenon that affects us all.

It’s a mental block that can derail or even halt progress—especially during the preparation of presentations for our products or services.

THE BEGINNING

Whether it’s something we’re excited about—or something outside our comfort zone—starting is almost always difficult.

With presentations, it’s doubly so. Unlike hobbies, these tasks are mandatory, often related to our work.

Starting is always a challenge:Where to begin?Where to go?What are the key points?How should the presentation be structured?

We try to start in a sophisticated, organized, linear way. But this method often limits our creativity, boxing us into rigid bullet points.

STRATEGIES

Linear writing only serves part of the planning process.

Instead, try mind mapping—it lets your brain visualize your topic as categories spread through space. This “bird’s-eye view” helps you:

• Expand into tree-like branches,

• Use associations, and

• Develop ideas organically.

Another playful method: create cards for different points and move them around by category. This adds variability and boosts creativity.

A more interpersonal option: define discussion topics and talk them through with non-experts. This gives you a client-oriented perspective—seeing your product or service through their eyes.

You can even start in the middle—by listing a set of core questions and then building a structure based on the answers.

Eventually, you’ll shape it all into a classic linear format—your final content.

OUR OWN BIOLOGY

Tuning your own mental and physical state to match your goal is key.

The brain operates in two modes:

• Executive mode: Full focus on a task.

• Default mode: Ideas “incubate” in the background.

Sometimes, the best thing to do is take a walk or exercise. That’s when new ideas often emerge unexpectedly.

Letting go of forced concentration can be productive and energizing.

BOUNDARIES

Setting boundaries is an essential tool in creative planning. They:

• Define your scope,

• Prevent you from wandering too far from your topic.

Without boundaries, you risk falling into “serendipity zones”—where you find cool information that’s irrelevant to your goal and leads to procrastination.

SABOTAGE

The final form of self-sabotage?Perfectionism.

Trying to be perfect can derail your progress entirely by setting unattainable goals.

Allow imperfection.

From imperfection often come the most brilliant ideas—just like with people.It’s not perfection we seek, but essence.

With careful evaluation, we can create a final presentation that distills:

• Essence,

• Value, and

• A strong message.

In the end, great presentations are built from clarity and quality content—not perfection.