You have to start with something, so why not start with anything.

There are few things more terrifying than a blank page. There are so many possibilities. So many ways to start. So many things that could be said. How could you possibly pick?

The same could be said about designing a deck, or picking a name for a child, or a colour for your room, or … .

Chosing can be extremely tough, especially when you are working with someone else. I know you have all had the experience of standing with some friends after a movie or something when someone says, “So, where do you want to eat?”

That question is almost as terrifying as a blank page. Often since everyone wants to be seen as the supportive, no drama friend, no one makes an initial offer. We don’t want to impose our will on others, so we defer. “I don’t know, where do you want to go?”

I wouldn’t fault you for thinking the same thing could happen is everyone sticks with the rule, “Say, Yes! And…” While everyone waits for an offer so they can be supportive, very little gets done.

Here’s the thing. You have to start somewhere, so you may as well start anywhere. The novel doesn’t have to be fully completed. You don’t have to have an idea for a character. You don’t have to know what the preferences of everyone in your group is. Nor do you need to know exactly what shade or chartreuse would go best with your bedspread.

All you need to do is make one little choice.

The improv world has a little exercise that might help us develop the ability to make that small initial choice. This is an exercise which helps improv actors quickly create different characters. Now, developing a character can be a daunting task. It is really hard to come up with a fully formed character, and know how they walk, talk, and see the world. It is almost impossible to do that within 3 seconds as you enter into a scene. Yet, improv actors do it all the time. Naturally, they draw on experience (on practice) of being on stage previous times, but also exercises like this one:

Walk slowly around a room at a natural pace and gait.

Pick any body part (the first one that comes to mind), and lead with that body part. Imagine that you are walking up to a waterfall and want that part of your body to get wet first. This could be your pinky toe, or it could be your left elbow. It doesn’t really matter, and since there is no really proper way to lead with your left elbow you can do it however you want.

Then, exaggerate those movements a bit, and add anything else that feels natural. If someone actually walked like this, would they walk faster, or slower? What would their facial expressions be like? Would they speak with a drawl, or use fast, clipped, sentences? Finally, what might that person’s name be?

In no time at all, you have created a character. All it took was a single small decision.

So, maybe you are staring at a blank page in your life. Thinking about starting over, or wondering what to do for university, or trying to come up with the next big business disruption. Whatever it is you want to do, make a small choice in that direction, and then add to that choice.

You have to start with something, so why not start with anything?