There is something thrilling about a blank page. Whether starting a new project, exploring a new hobby, or contemplating a career change, there is limitless potential to create something new and vibrant. But that same blank page can also be paralyzing, for the fear of marking it with failure rather than brilliance.

These last few months have been filled with blank pages, both literal and figurative. Navigating the endless cycle of try–fail–try is fun and frustrating, exhilarating and exhausting. But I view my explorations as an exercise in both courage and forgiveness. Some things stick, others don’t. I am discovering I am naturally good at a few things, and embarrassingly bad at others. A few things are inspiring enough that I’m willing to lean in. There is only learning, and the only failure is avoidance.

So, grab that empty page and do something. Draw a circle. Write a word. Take that class. Apply for that job. Then iterate, repaint, retype, reimagine. Whether you push the idea to its limits or change course completely, the choice is yours. Share your work with the world, or never show another soul. The first marks you make are yours alone.

A blank page is a gift. It doesn’t matter HOW you mark it. It matters THAT you mark it.