DaMien M Casey

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Where do I start? Did I intentionally decide to become an author… or did the profession choose me? A bit of both, I think. Desire, opportunity and natural ability all combined to place a pen in my hand and words onto paper.

I have always had a fertile imagination. Ever since I gazed up at the clouds as a child and made figures from the ever-changing shapes of water vapour, I realised that somehow, some way, I would become a creative person. I suppose my lineage, which includes opera singers, artists, instrumentalists, designers and actors, has a lot to do with it. We cannot choose our heritage, but I am immensely grateful for mine.

My apprenticeship has been a long one.

I remember growing plants in my bedroom when I was ten years old. I was always fascinated with everything green. That I should eventually complete forty-five years of service to the landscaping and gardening industries made me richer for the experience. Every garden I created, every plant I nurtured and every landscape I designed became part of the journey that would eventually lead me here.

To be truthful, one day I simply sat down and started painting. I needed to nurture the creativity inside me. Five years and one hundred oil paintings later, I think I achieved what I set out to do, but something was still missing. I had so much creativity bursting inside that I needed another way to express it.

Those who understand autism will understand the unique way in which the mind can perceive and process the world. Yes, I am on the spectrum, and I am not ashamed to say so. In fact, as a writer, I believe it has given me an edge.

I consider it a creative superpower. Like every gift, it has its challenges and its rewards. One of the greatest rewards is the ability to see connections, patterns and possibilities that others may overlook. My mind rarely stops creating. Ideas, images, characters and entire worlds are constantly forming and evolving.

I hope that is evident in the books I have written and the worlds I have created.

So where did my journey truly begin? Perhaps it began in the cradle. The pen merely found the words many years later, shaped by life experience, imagination and a wonderful creative spirit.

‘Nicolas’ was the first word I wrote in The Tales of the Magic Piano series. From that single word, the story blossomed into more than a million words, countless images and one hundred and seventy songs so far.

To be truthful, I had no idea where it was going or what audience it would attract, but I knew it would involve adventure, imagination and creative spirit.

I am the type of author who discovers the story as it unfolds. I don’t sit down and plan every detail for hours before I begin. I am almost at the opposite end of the spectrum. My challenge is not finding ideas — it is trying to contain them, narrow them down and somehow fit them inside a box before they are all released.

Needless to say, I don’t suffer from writer’s block.

The piano series started on a warm spring day, seated at a table in my backyard. What made me write those first words? My dad.

He was a master musician, an extraordinary pianist and choir master. I wanted to honour him somehow. Music, creativity and writing seemed to answer that need.

So I began.