I often think of a blank piece of paper or new document in a word processing program can be the start of all things.

An artist can turn the blank sheet into a work of art. A writer or business person can begin their career by plotting an idea or opening a novel. Even a less scrupulous schemer will begin their next get-rich quick ploy by hacking out a seedy chain letter. A person could read the watermark “cotton bond” etched into a certain sheet and discover an opportunity to get rich investing in the cotton industry. A bachelor could write down his phone number, fold the paper into a paper airplane it shoot it out the window, to be called by his soul mate. A name or phone number mentioned on the radio or television could be jotted down on a blank piece of paper and that contact could represent the opportunity of a lifetime. The possibilities that could result from a sheet of ordinary paper are endless. So too, are the possibilities of the human mind.

A few years ago, for example, a woman jotted down part of a story on a restaurant napkin. The story went on the become Harry Potter, and the woman, J.K Rowling, went on to be set for the rest of her life. This article too, started as a blank page. It represents a publication- a success on my part no matter of what size it is.

It’s said that if you sit looking at a blank page or computer file long enough, you’ll eventually get bored and entertain yourself by putting something on that page, or using it in some way. Try that next time you feel the need to inspire yourself or create something.