Taylor Swift Who? (or, What’s in a Name?)

When Blank Spaces was in the earliest stages of gestation, it was literally that: a blank space.

As I navigated thoughts surrounding the potential of a magazine, I wasn't close to finding a name until I asked myself:

Why start a magazine? What did I hope to accomplish?

My answer came quickly and painlessly: I wanted to help fill the gaps left by major players in the print industry with art that might otherwise go unnoticed.

There are a bajillion artists out there (that's a real number - I looked it up!) — writers, painters, poets, crafters—and until they've built a name for themselves, prestigious titles won't give them the time of day.

A preposterous tragedy!

So the tagline came to me before the name: FILLING THE GAP WITH STORY AND COLOUR.

And what describes a gap better than a blank space?

So, against what I can only imagine is all the marketing and small business advice in the entire world, and with an astounding (and perhaps embarrassing) lack of familiarity with the pop sensations of our current musical climate, I named my baby while she was still in utero; I introduced her, showed off ultrasound photos, bragged about the BIG IDEA that ultimately knocked me up.

"Oh, like Taylor Swift?" someone asked, when I tried to cast my vision-net upon them.

I laughed like I knew what they were talking about and said, "Phht!" Then I ran to Google and typed in [Taylor Swift] [Blank Spaces]

Of course, the wonder that is the internet took me directly to Ms. Swift's critically acclaimed song, Blank Space. 

Oops...

But then I thought about all those mothers who named their babies Britney in 1989 (I looked that up, too!). The abundance of a shared name never lessened the love any of them had—at least not until they started emulating Britney Spears and her outfits...

So, thanks to all those Britney's, I can shrug off the shadow of Taylor Swift's 1989 Album (see what I did there? I didn't even plan that! Blank Spaces is obviously touched by the Nine Muses) and I can proudly own the early choice I made. (And for the record, I'm not about to change my outfits or style to emulate Taylor, even though she's basically all-that-and-a-bag-of-chips — I'm more of a eat-a-chocolate-bar-while-wearing-yoga-pants kind of girl!)

Blank Spaces is still a name that boasts what I stand for and ultimately, that's the purpose of a name. And there is that line in the song..."I can read you like a magazine," so perhaps it's providence.

I just wish 'Blank Space' didn't dominate Google with such aggressive overpowerment. (I invented that word. I know because I tried to look it up as well. I've poured a lot of research into this post. You're welcome!)

From conception (WHEE!) to birthing pains (groan) to holding that fully baked, glossy babe in my arms (*sigh*) Blank Spaces was, is, and will remain fully mine—no... fully ours. Because without you, I'd just be staring into a big black void and there's nothing very inspiring about that now is there?!

Taylor can have her Blank Space. We're about all the other Spaces!

A name is only as important as what it stands for, and I'm confident in saying that Blank Spaces (with an 'S') stands for something pretty amazing!

Want to see how we've filled the gaps for September? Grab our first GORGEOUS issue right here. 

Want to be part of the crazy? Submit your work!  

I've got a blank space, baby.

                       I'll write your name.