Creativity comes into play in just about any field. Looking at situations from different perspectives, finding new uses for old things, combining disparate ideas or ingredients or even colors--all are creative endeavors. And when writer Ann Byle became a chicken owner, she began to look at her hens with new interest and the keen eye of an artist. Even though chicken-tending proved to have its own challenges, Byle discovered that her feathered friends offered surprising lessons and inspiration for her own work, lessons on living creatively.

The creative life can be profound, but also funny, exasperating, and downright weird--much like living with a flock of hens. If we take the time to notice, we have much to learn from our beloved chickens, things like the value of curiosity, how we might welcome challenges in our lives, and even when to let go of perfectionism. It's time to name our creative impulses, to claim them, and to squawk them from the rooftops!