By Staci Backauskas
In the last two years, I’ve moved nine times. I’ve become a Goldilocks of sorts, assessing the comfort of various beds and processing the distinct night noises made by each house and its neighborhood. I’ve explored three counties and discovered geographic nooks and crannies that life-long residents don’t know about. I’m an expert at packing and unpacking. And most importantly, I have learned how to manage my energy in the midst of the unfamiliar.
You might think that these circumstances would thwart creativity. To the contrary, they have fueled mine. In this same time period, I have written dozens of articles and columns, penned a short story that was sold to a literary magazine, and sculpted a hundred new Haikus. I’ve authored a book, created a board game, crafted stories and shared them with audiences, and helped others to hone their own stories. In the midst of what could be perceived as enormous chaos, I have experienced pinnacles of creativity.
Why? Because life is the driving force behind my creative expression.
Sorting through the details of renting storage facilities, organizing friends to help me move the 100 boxes that contain my life . . . again, meeting client due dates, expending energy on my own spiritual development and supporting others with theirs, drove me to create. It is my safety valve-the release button on my internal pressure cooker. Creating brings me comfort.
That doesn’t mean I’m always able to do it. There are times when I allow the appearance of chaos to prevent me from doing what I know will make me feel better.
I’ve blamed it on the muse not liking change. “She’ll only wake up when things calm down,” I’ve joked. When I was willing to listen, I learned my muse craves the calm of the peace within, not serenity born of some external utopia.
Creativity isn’t an elusive entity that only appears when life is tranquil. If that were the case, we wouldn’t have most of the great works of art, literature, and film that we do. The only thing that is required for creative expression is focus. With a little practice, you can learn to do that no matter the level of change occurring in your life.
By creating—bringing non-physical energy into three-dimensional form—I access the peace and joy that sometimes seems so far away, but is always available to me. Life will always be filled with change. But creativity, like my home, is something I carry with me. It is not something to “find.” It is not over “there.” It is inside-waiting patiently to be exposed.
An Intuitive, Author, and Storyteller, Staci shows other how to remove the blocks that keep them from knowing who they really are. She’s the author of the novels The Fifth Goddess and Where Fat Girls Haven’t Gone, and created the Out Your ego! book and card deck. Staci offers messages of Light, Love & Laughter at events and gatherings and can be heard every Wednesday at 4 pm on GSHRadio.com. For more information, visit www.StaciB.com