Creativity and Motherhood

“Either I’m going to be creative or a crackhead,” I said to my husband. “And more than likely I’m going to find creative ways to get my crack. So pick your poison.”

Before marrige, my husband and I got together while I was in school for creative writing. He asked why didn’t I pick a different, more stability providing profession other than chase my lofty dreams. I did many times, racked up student loan debt, and dropped out of every nursing program. I’m not trying anything else. Hell, I tried IT Healthcare and said “nah. This isn’t for me.”

Me being creative is my life. It is what I was born to do. Never did I imagine I’d be a mom and a wife. Being a black sheep of the family, I pictured my life as a teacher of the arts and that’s it. Maybe with five cats and an intresting diet.

Motherhood and marrige have become my anchors in reality. The more I create, the more I feel like I’m drifting from reality and moving into a new world where I have to think of the bizarre, morbid, and grotesque. It’s all attached to a hobby that makes me happy. When I start to feel like I’m losing my mind, they always bring me back with the slightest touch, smile, or hello.

So how do I manage motherhood and marrige while being as creative of possible?

1. Set clear goals.

I’m working writing a series, manga, and creating art based around the entire story. I can only work on one thing at a time. Setting a clear goal like make five bracelets Tuesday or edit chapter 3 by the end of the week keeps me from feeling overwhelmed.

2.  Baby comes first

As soon as I get home from work, I dedicate my time to my daughter. Playtime, let her run between the studio and game room, dinner and a movie, have her run around a bit more, bathtime, and finally she goes to sleep. I don’t do anything creative until she’s sleeping. Sometimes my husband offers to put her to sleep which gives me two more hours of creating.

3. Wifely Duties

😒😏☺️🥰 that’s all I’m going to say lol and if not, there’s no peace in the house.

3. Wake up, worship, workout

Before my day begins, I thank God to see a new one and work out. I should’ve put this first, but it’s already here. I can’t do anything unless my mind, body, and soul are in the right spots. I really need to stop looking at social media when I wake up on my days off. Beside that, it’s OK to be selfish with yourself. How can you pour into others when you’re already empty. It’s just not right.

And when everyone is out of my face for the day, I finally turn on the mood lights in my studio and kick my feet up. A glass of wine or a joint would do. I’m not fucking with crack. I did it once and…ew.

Honestly the most I spend creating-if I’m not super tired- is an hour. That’s why some of my work looks rushed, but that’s a feature I like. It’s a testament to how much I try to balance marrige, motherhood, and creativity.

If you made it this far, leave a comment on how you balance motherhood and creativity. Or leave a 🌻 in the comments.