As someone who loves blank canvasses (I can’t help it, my dad was an artist) one of the things he taught me was impose some sort of constraint to make it less intimidating.

Not on the obvious, constraint, however. For instance, although many in “art” say that one should paint in oil, or acrylic or watercolor, my dad would paint in whatever was good for the effect, many times mixing mediums. I’m sure it’s because he originally was trained in plaster and murals.

I remember as a kid he’d get down with me and grab some dirt I was playing with and he took it and stuck it into a mix. Why? It added texture. After all, new mediums would never be created unless you experimented with new methods when people think you’re crazy.

The constraints he’d put on would be time. Or do something with perspective. In short, he’d put a place to start. In short, he’d make himself an easy-tear corner of his creative sticker.

How can you make an easy-tear corner for the blank canvases in your life?