Hellobee Boards

I couldn't finish the whole thing, her writing was annoying.

I think motherhood has informed my practice and made me a better designer.

I read the entire thing...this was after several starts and stops. The part where she journaled how she wanted to parent was just...MUCH.

I've produced a lot more creative work since my daughter was born because I had to carve out more time for writing. I've published a short book of poetry, a personal essay, and a written a first draft of my novel. Sure, I can't write all the time...but I'm in a writing group with women who aren't parents and life gets in the way of their creative time, too.

i guess i'll be the dissenter and say i kinda feel what she's saying. maybe it's just now in this season of transition from 1 to 2 and being in a house that is just a stepping stone for us, but i've felt depleted in my artistic endeavors... not when i'm actually working, like getting paid to photograph. i love that and need that space, but the extras that i used to care about and make time to hone my craft even more... those have been missing. i'm in the season where my art is my job instead of keeping my passion fresh, i've kinda fell back on the laurels of what i've built up? i mean, i guess that's a benefit to working hard to narrow in on what i want, but i don't feel stretched creatively or like i have a new direction where as previously, i was pushing myself to find something new.

i have, however, read war of art and i feel like it's set me up to look at artistic ventures as a business and a habit instead of being a wild pursuit. so i keep my "business hours" and keep at it and pray that the season of passion for my art comes back!

I dunno what to think. I'm not an artist but am an academic and so the time investments and mental space elements of both are similar. I would say that being a parent has forced me to become a lot more efficient, and definitely take fewer but more pointed risks. I did not really know myself until I had a child, because I was never forced to make any irrevocable decisions. Having kids is probably the only decision I've ever made that is irrevocable, and in my opinion it is hard to know yourself until you commit to something. Not saying that non-parents are not self-aware/aware of their own mortality, etc., but parenting is a quick route to commitment and acknowledging the reality of trade-offs. Recognizing what is hard about life definitely has changed my perspective on work.