The "Art Every Day" of Motherhood

As we wrap up the month of November, the Art Every Day challenge is coming to an end.  I didn't blog much about my creative endeavors this month, but I did find little moments throughout the days to create.  I especially enjoyed experimenting with new vegan, gluten-free recipes (that I hope to share soon), and loved getting back to my knitting needles.  I even bought some new yarn for the first time in a long time, and have been working on a few scarves and some felted flower pins.

Rather than making physical art pieces every day, though, I realized that my "art every day" in this moment is actually my practice in mindful mothering.  Balancing being the mother of two and all that comes with staying home with my children, working from home, and making sure my personal self-care and creative interests aren't totally ignored, is quite a challenge for sure!

Here's how I work these days:


baby on my chest,


little boy at my feet,


and kitty above my head.

And some days totally flow (especially the ones when I've gotten sleep)!  I set my expectations aside and simply move from one moment to the next - getting to my art and work in-between the feedings, diaper changes, potty training, laundry, grocery shopping, dinner prepping, playing trains etc.

But some days have me in tears as I throw up my hands and pray for Calgon to take me away! I feel tired, grouchy and frustrated because I can't spend more than one minute on anything without getting interrupted or someone needing something from me.

Being a mother is hard work.  We all know it's a 24/7 job with little breaks.  And here's what I can say without a doubt -  I love being a mom.  I love staying home with my children.  AND I love my creative work.  I used to have a belief system that the household duties somehow held more importance or value over my creativity.  Now I know that is just plain ridiculous.  If I don't make time for me, my art and the work I love so much, than I'm that tired, grouchy mama that no one wants to be around.  But when I put value on and make me, my art and my work a priority - NO MATTER WHAT - than I am joyful, happy and really fun to be with!

Making space for our creativity is absolutely essential.  Learning how to do this is an art form in itself.  For me, this notion of "art every day" will continue way beyond the month of November because I've made a conscious choice to create the life I love - EVERY single day.

This pile of laundry is literally stacked in my living room waiting to be folded.  I made the decision this morning to create first and to post this blog entry before folding the clothes.  Now that I've made time for my creativity I can head towards those baskets and simply enjoy folding the clothes, rather than feeling resentful or sad because I don't ever get time for the things I enjoy most.  (Except now I have a little boy who wants to play trains - hence, going with the flow!)

Making these choices, to make ME a priority in my life, is my art every day.  And it's what allows me to be fully present with my children, so I don't miss moments like this one:

Your Personal Reflection:  What takes up your time and energy?  Do you make space for you, your creativity and your personal interests?  What small changes can you make, starting today, to make you and your creativity a priority in your life?  Are you ready to make the conscious choice to create the life you love - every single day?  You deserve to be happy and your creativity matters!  

Who Am I Kidding?

YES...I'm loving my baby moon.  I'm getting the "normal" amount of sleep that you get with a newborn.  I'm enjoying the slower pace.  I'm learning how to manage outings with two.  I'm doing laundry, although not really keeping up with it, and I'm cooking dinners again.  Physically I feel better.  There is still some sensitivity around my incision area, but it's definitely healing.  My belly still looks like I'm 5 months pregnant, but that's just part of the deal.  I will say that I can't wait for the day when I can wear pants with a zipper, and when I can get back to yoga and Zumba!

I had this big idea that it was time to start work again.  Since I work from home and for myself I set my own schedule and pace.  I love that I have the flexibility and freedom to do this.  Being a work-from-home, stay-at-home mom has been a dream of mine since I started having children.  (Here's just a piece of my creative journey that helped get me to this place.)  I was starting to get the hang of it with one child, but now that I have another one I'm finding that just taking a shower - one where I can shave my legs AND dry my hair - is a great accomplishment for the week!

So needless to say my attempts at making Art Every Day have, um...been challenging.  I've felted a little, I've written some, and I've played with legos and play dough.  I even had my sister come over to watch Kestan so that I could enjoy some time in my art room.  And although Kestan had a great time playing with Aunt Lindsay, I became frustrated because I set expectations that were not getting met.  I wanted to paint and instead I spent most of the three hours nursing, cleaning and trying to just get myself ready for the day.  And that's when the feeling of being overwhelmed kicked in.

Caring for all the needs of two children, cleaning, cooking, running a business, visiting with friends, quality time with my husband, keeping up with finances, planning for the future and on and on and on.  Trying to "do it all" is for the birds.  I mean, who am I kidding anyway?

Frustrated?  Overwhelmed?  Stressed?  Is this how I want to spend my days?

And that's when I reminded myself, "YOU HAVE A NEWBORN, SHAN!"  Chill out.  Relax.  Get more sleep.  Let gooooo...  Enjoy yourself and your time with your babes - they are growing up so fast!

So the next day I didn't set any expectations or have any plans in mind.  I ended up spontaneously creating some new meals, felting some holiday crafts, playing with my boys and I even got a nap in.  No expectations and no planning is where I need to stay right now.  I find I'm way less frustrated, overwhelemd, and stressed when I stop setting myself up with unrealistic expectations.

And instead of having these big ideas of jumping right back into work (after only a month), or painting, or opening up my Etsy shop again, I've decided to let each day be my guide.  So today I returned to my knitting needles, not only because I find knitting to be relaxing and meditative, but because it's the one thing I can do while nursing!

HEY WORKING MOMS - I want to hear from you!  How do you balance the joy (and challenges) of motherhood with your creative and personal interests?

Your Personal Reflection:  Do you ever set expectations or make plans only to see it end in disappointment and frustration?  How can you continue to plan for the future but live in the present moment, with less expectations of how things "should" be?  Try going through your day today with less worry and more unplanned experiences - and see how you feel.