Here on the East Coast, Spring brings with it colorful flowers, warmer breezes, and the return of birds and frogs. For me, I look forward to Spring for all of those reasons. But what I really think about during the long winter months is Spring Cleaning (no, I’m not crazy).

I dream of opening all of my windows, cleaning off the accumulated dirt and grime, and letting the sun shine in. There is something about brushing down the cobwebs and wiping off my baseboards that I find relaxing and almost meditative. It gives me time to pause and reflect. I can clear my mind.

When my mind is clear and unencumbered with daily tasks is when the best ideas float in. Those stories that have been churning in the back of my mind, and the characters figuring out what they want to say, finally strain to get out.

Last month, during a week of particular clarity (and in the middle of purging my children’s unused toys) I wrote two picture books. They were just ready to be written.

So how to you clear your mind of your mental cobwebs and start new work (or restart stalled work)?

I’m off to find something else that needs cleaning. Or to plant some lettuce in my vegetable garden. Anything for some quiet time. I have 29 ideas left from last November’s Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo) to work on, after all.

When I was younger, I loved doing anything creative. I took black and white photographs with my father. I sang; I danced; I acted. I sat in front of my neighbors’ houses sketching their facades. I even wrote lovelorn poetry for my high school literary magazine.

Then came time to decide what I wanted to be when I grew up. After much consideration, I had two contenders: study musical theater, or architecture. In the end, the practical side of me won out. An architect has a better chance of getting a steady job, and I couldn’t picture myself waiting tables in between acting gigs.

So I chose a great university (The Catholic University of America) in a great town (Washington, DC) and I jumped in with both feet. I studied hard, joined the choir, got involved in student government, and soaked up all the culture DC has to offer.

But I had a problem. I had always been an A student, but I was earning Bs and Cs in my Architecture Design Studio courses. What was wrong? I was designing practical buildings, giving myself practice at what I thought I would build when I graduated. Those of my classmates who designed completely creatively with no sense of practicality got As (the long-haired guy who got top grades for his commercial building based on a banana, you shall remain nameless).

So in the summer between my Junior and Senior years, I made a decision to approach the construction field from a different angle: business management. I finished my architecture degree, and then an MBA.

Diploma in hand, I began interviewing. I was sure that with my combination of architecture and business management education, I would be a hot commodity. Who would be lucky enough to snap me up first? As it turns out, there would be no scramble for my services. I soon learned that architecture and construction firms promoted from within; partners and business managers worked for many years as apprentice architects, then full architects, then senior architects, then management. I really didn’t want to wait years to use my skills.

Fast forward twelve years later, and I had leveraged my business background into a successful career in Human Resources. I was employed by a large multi-national corporation, with exciting assignments working with employees, managers, and executives to help the business be successful. I even got to work on large acquisitions and mergers. I received honors, praise, and plum assignments. I was at the top of my game. But I was weary, and empty. There was not an ounce of creativity left in my life.

So when the company went through yet another reorganization, I took the opportunity to leave and start over. It allowed me to finally get pregnant with child #2 (our beautiful daughter), and take stock of my life.

I asked myself: what did I always dream of doing? What did I want to try before it was too late, so that I could live a life of minimal regret?

I quickly discovered that my short-list of dream jobs were full of fun, creativity, and imagination. And not very much practicality. But that’s what dreams are for, right?

With support from my family, I am actively pursuing two of those dreams: writing children’s books, and puppeteering. And I couldn’t be happier. I get to do what I love every day, along with a dream my husband and I share: to personally and actively raise two well-adjusted, loving children.

So, would I do it all again, with what I know now? Yes. Everything I have experienced and learned has informed my character.

I took a different path, and then looked up to find that I had mis-read the signs. Stepping off this road to forge my own path through the underbrush has confirmed my passion for a creative life. I am blessed to be walking this new path with those who love me, supporting me no matter which turn I take.