Every month, I will introduce you to someone I’ve met along my spiritual path who has inspired me. Meet Pia Wilson. Pia has been a Newark Creative Catalyst grant recipient, Traveling Master for Dramatist Guild Foundation, resident with the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Sundance fellow, and member of the 2008 Emerging Writers Group at The Public Theater. Her plays have been produced by AD Players, Crossroads Theatre, Workspace Collective, Drew University, Adelphi University, Horse Trade Theater Group, and The Fire This Time play festival. Her fiction podcast, IF I GO MISSING THE WITCHES DID IT, starring Gabourey Sidibe, is available wherever you get your podcasts and was listed as one of the Best New Podcasts of 2021 by Variety and Mashable. In television, Pia was a staff writer for NatGeo’s GENIUS ARETHA and BET’s SACRIFICE.

Tell us about your life's journey and what brought you to this place?

Life is so wide and deep, and my life’s journey so far has been full of joy and love and grief and fun. One constant in my life has been spirituality. I come from a spiritual and religious family. I separate the two because they can overlap but don’t always mean the same thing. So, I think it’s in my nature to see things through a spiritual lens. When I have to make a decision, I think things through on an intellectual level while also checking in with my intuition. I wonder how situations affect my soul’s mission. I’m a creative person, a writer, and I do believe that I make my art in partnership with the universe. Not all of it, but a lot of it.

What lessons have you learned along the way?

Every moment what was once your future becomes your past. The past and the future are always at a distance from you. The present is always the present, and it’s always where it is, never moving away from you. When you live in the past, you are getting further and further away from yourself. When you try to live in the future, it’s not concrete enough to support you. Your true self, the part of you that is one with the universe, is always in the present.

Where does your happiness come from?

Family, friends, books, and coffee. I also have a sign I made above my desk that says, “Concentrate on what you love.” I try to do that!

What inspires you?

Other art from all time and all art forms.

Who inspires you?

Other artists from all time and all art forms.

What gets you excited about life?

I get excited by how circumstances can change so quickly — moment to moment. I love how magical life is.  You could discover the secrets to the universe any minute!

Can you share a breakthrough with us?

I realized that worrying doesn’t actually change things. You just expend a lot of energy worrying about the situation rather than using that energy in a constructive way. So, if I start worrying about a situation, I try to shift my energy.

What is your superpower?

Probably trying to see the best in people and trying to inspire them to go after their dreams. If I can be a messenger for the universe to help them do that, I will.

How do you stay connected to your higher self and the universe?

I meditate every day. I recently studied Transcendental Meditation, and I love it. I also try to practice gratitude.

Is there anything you'd like to share with us (blog, artwork, etc)?

My podcast, IF I GO MISSING, THE WITCHES DID IT, is available wherever you get your podcasts. Starring Gabourey Sidibe, the satirical podcast follows a Black writer named Jenna (played by Gabourey) who goes missing and the white podcast host with a savior complex named Elise (played by Sarah Natochenny) who takes up the cause of finding Jenna. The podcast won a 2022 Webby People’s Voice Award for Best Scripted Fiction in the Podcast category. You can listen to it here.