La carte blanche

That initial element contains an enormous number of built-in decisions that limit the scope of the intellectual or visual problem at hand, thankfully preventing the paralysis that results from the overwhelming unlimited scope of decision contained in a blank page or empty space. The initial element provides a leverage point for expression. Also that starting element helps to find a problem that one can actually make progress on.

Blank page by Freidwall, on Flickr

Edward Tufte’s The blank page, the empty space, the paradox of choice on Ask E.T. Forum, 2006.  {This was one of my inspirations for The Blank Page: Effects of Constraint on Creativity}