By Teresa R. Funke

For most of my life, I fell into the trap of letting my mind lead my body, and my body lead my spirit. As someone who has been a deep and incessant thinker since a very young age, it’s always been easy to let my mind be the boss. I thought it was important to be smart. I thought it was important to able to think your way through a problem. I thought the more I learned, the better off I’d be. I never believed for a minute I could learn to meditate, because everyone told me meditation required you to turn off your thoughts, and I believed that would be impossible for me. 

Five and a half years ago, I started writing a blog called, Bursts of Brilliance for a Creative Life. I did so because I had three kids in college or going off to college, so I was working nights and days and weekends to save up money. There was no longer time to write my novels (I’d written and published six at that point, each based on true stories from World War II) so the blog became my weekly creative outlet. Because I was so busy, I gave myself permission to write about whatever I felt like writing, not what I thought I should write. Not what I thought people wanted to read. Not what I thought might be trendy. Just what I felt like writing. And because time was lacking, and I considered the blog my escape, I never rewrote or questioned any of the posts I put out there (although I did edit them, of course). 

Then something interesting happened. People started reading the blog, and not just artists, who were my intended audience, but teachers and health care professionals and businesspeople. It seemed that everyone could relate to my musings on finding time to create, battling my inner critic, wondering if my work mattered, and learning to trust my intuition. People started sending me e-mails to tell me how much they liked a particular post and how much it touched them. Why? Because it tapped into their feelings too. So, I kept writing one new post every week, with no self-censorship. In putting my feelings on the page, I also came to some stunning realizations about myself, about the importance of art, about how this blog was helping me tap into my Higher Self. 

The blog gave me permission to just feel my journey, rather than trying to explain it. The words came effortlessly once I stopped trying to “think” about how to say things just right. And when I decided to edit the blog into a book, I knew that through the expression of my own doubts, insecurities, and fears, but also passions, revelations, and triumphs, I would find like-hearted souls who could relate. 

My new book, also called Bursts of Brilliance for a Creative Life, is an edited compilation of the best blog posts from the first five years. My biggest lesson in creating this book has been that when we let our hearts lead, when we lean into our passion and trust the guidance of our Higher Selves, we will make real connections. We will raise the vibration of this worried and wonderful world. We will see ourselves in others and see new parts of ourselves. 

If you haven’t given yourself permission to create lately, please do. We need your creative energy to lift us all up. Try a new recipe, plant something different in your garden, assemble the perfect outfit, or pick up your pencil, paintbrush, or instrument again. Tell your mind to take a break. Tell it that for the time it takes to make your creation, your soul is now the boss!

PS–I finally did learn to meditate, once I accepted that you can’t shut off your thoughts, but you can choose not to focus on them.

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Bio: Teresa Funke believes there’s an artist in everyone. Her newest book, Bursts of Brilliance for a Creative Life, helps readers ignite their creative spirit and rediscover their passion, their purpose, and their power. Today’s chaotic world requires an army of innovative thinkers—and you are one of them!

Teresa is the embodiment of the modern artist/entrepreneur. She’s the owner of Teresa Funke & Company and Bursts of Brilliance™ and has authored seven award-winning novels for adults and children set in World War II, including Dancing in Combat Boots and War on a Sunday Morning. She is a sought-after instructional and motivational speaker, a writing consultant, and a community catalyst. She created the Self-Publishing Blueprint, the only tool you’ll need to self-publish successfully.

Visit www.teresafunke.com to access writing resources or learn more about Teresa’s books or visit www.burstsofbrilliance.com to find evolving ways to boost your artistic energy and increase your fun factor!

Teresa’s grace, intelligence, writing, coaching, and publishing expertise, along with her soft spoken-manner and fiery spirit is sure to inspire you as much as is it has me and many others. I highly recommend checking out her blog and her books for yourself. You won’t regret it. –Baja Rock Pat