Blank: Why It’s Fine to Falter and Fail, and How to Pick Yourself Up Again

Everyone has those difficult blank moments sometimes.

Whether in your personal life, career, relationship, or in a public situation, writer’s block, social anxiety, imposter syndrome, being off-form or having an identity crisis can affect anyone at any time. It’s part of the human condition and yet it can throw us off course and make us feel helpless.

Giles Paley-Phillips and Jim Daly host an informal, insightful podcast in which they chat to well-known people from comedy, acting, writing, broadcasting, politics and sports about their careers and how they get through these moments when things aren’t going to plan. Some of the recurring themes include public failure, social anxieties, fear, mental health, grief and more. This, their first book, looks at the common experiences and lessons they’ve encountered while talking to guests such as Louis Theroux, David Harbour, Reginald D Hunter, Jon Ronson, Dawn French, Rufus Sewell and Gary Lineker.

Blank moments allow us to reset and see things differently. Far from being setbacks, they can be the impetus for clarity and creativity. Identify your blank moments and jump in - you never know what you might find.