diff --git a/openapi_core/shortcuts.py b/openapi_core/shortcuts.py
index 3bd32f0..504ae10 100644
--- a/openapi_core/shortcuts.py
+++ b/openapi_core/shortcuts.py
@@ -1,12 +1,6 @@
 """OpenAPI core shortcuts module"""
 # backward compatibility
-from jsonschema.validators import RefResolver
-from openapi_spec_validator import (
-    default_handlers, openapi_v3_spec_validator,
-)
-from openapi_spec_validator.validators import Dereferencer
-
-from openapi_core.spec.paths import SpecPath
+from openapi_core.spec.shortcuts import create_spec
 from openapi_core.validation.request.shortcuts import (
     spec_validate_body as validate_body,
     spec_validate_parameters as validate_parameters,
@@ -21,16 +15,3 @@ __all__ = [
     'create_spec', 'validate_body', 'validate_parameters', 'validate_data',
     'RequestValidator', 'ResponseValidator',
 ]
-
-
-def create_spec(
-    spec_dict, spec_url='', handlers=default_handlers,
-    validate_spec=True,
-):
-    if validate_spec:
-        openapi_v3_spec_validator.validate(spec_dict, spec_url=spec_url)
-
-    spec_resolver = RefResolver(
-        spec_url, spec_dict, handlers=handlers)
-    dereferencer = Dereferencer(spec_resolver)
-    return SpecPath.from_spec(spec_dict, dereferencer)
diff --git a/openapi_core/spec/shortcuts.py b/openapi_core/spec/shortcuts.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2df933d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openapi_core/spec/shortcuts.py
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+"""OpenAPI core spec shortcuts module"""
+from jsonschema.validators import RefResolver
+from openapi_spec_validator import (
+    default_handlers, openapi_v3_spec_validator,
+)
+from openapi_spec_validator.validators import Dereferencer
+
+from openapi_core.spec.paths import SpecPath
+
+
+def create_spec(
+    spec_dict, spec_url='', handlers=default_handlers,
+    validate_spec=True,
+):
+    if validate_spec:
+        openapi_v3_spec_validator.validate(spec_dict, spec_url=spec_url)
+
+    spec_resolver = RefResolver(
+        spec_url, spec_dict, handlers=handlers)
+    dereferencer = Dereferencer(spec_resolver)
+    return SpecPath.from_spec(spec_dict, dereferencer)