Tomorrow, a houseful of relatives arrive. Friends have asked me how I can stand to have 13 people in my house and if it doubles my stress at the holidays. The answer to that is yes, a bit, but so what? Christmas, to me, is about giving. Isn’t that what we tell our children? Wouldn’t I prefer a quiet holiday curled up by the fire with a good book, they ask. Not really, because long after the plot of that book would be forgotten, I will still be remembering the laughter that filled this house.
As artists and entrepreneurs we pressure ourselves to be always working, always producing, always creating. Sometimes, especially when we are in the midst of launching a new project, we wish the outside world would fall away for a while. Holiday activities become just another chore to add to our already full plates.
I’ll confess to occasionally sitting at my child’s holiday recital with my mind wandering toward a plot twist I’d been considering for my book, or an e-mail I forgot to send, or an order I need to fill. Thankfully, the universe has a way of getting through to us even when we are most distracted. A child’s clear voice singing a favorite carol pulls us back to the present and hurls us back to our pasts and makes us realize that the future is coming way too fast.
If you truly want to live a creative life, you need to believe in magic. So let the magic of this holiday season penetrate the clutter. Be open to the stirrings of your soul. They are as vital to creation as the workings of your mind.