The blank page is the writers’ canvas. Don’t be intimidated by its stark whiteness, its vacant stare, its arrogant lines undulating across the page – know it is there to fuel your imagination and give you permission to write anything you desire. It is not there to restrict or impose rules but to inspire, to animate and excite. The blank page is the window to new worlds, new characters, new places, new happenings – it invites you to write down every emotion, memory, secret or vision. It is our friend, our rival, our therapist, our lover, and our companion. It plays devil’s advocate driving us to reveal our most intimate thoughts – and out of the jumble that gushes onto the page, we will unearth the stories we are destined to cultivate.
J.G. Chayko is a writer, actress and international arthritis advocate living on the beautiful west coast of British Columbia. She has published poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction. She is the author of the blogs The Old Lady in My Bones, based on her experience living with Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Corkboards and Coffeehouses, essays on her writing life. Her work has been featured in Canadian Stories, Arthritis Digest UK, Health Central, and Pain Free Living Magazine. She is a contributing writer to the book “Real Life Diaries: Living with Rheumatic Disease”. She is currently studying with the Writers Studio Program and working on a novel.
View all posts by J.G. Chayko
The blank page is the writers’ canvas. Don’t be intimidated by its stark whiteness, its vacant stare, its arrogant lines undulating across the page – know it is there to fuel your imagination and give you permission to write anything you desire. It is not there to restrict or impose rules but to inspire, to animate and excite. The blank page is the window to new worlds, new characters, new places, new happenings – it invites you to write down every emotion, memory, secret or vision. It is our friend, our rival, our therapist, our lover, and our companion. It plays devil’s advocate driving us to reveal our most intimate thoughts – and out of the jumble that gushes onto the page, we will unearth the stories we are destined to cultivate. 
