What Motherhood Has Taught Me About Creativity

A little over a year ago, I was working full time, with most of my energy focused on me, myself, and I. Life was structured, familiar, and largely self-directed. Fast forward to now, and everything looks completely different: I’m a mother, I work part time in a busy job, and I’m building a stationery and art business from the ground up.

It’s been a whirlwind of a year—full of lessons, beauty, exhaustion, transformation, and so many moments in between. Without a doubt, it’s been the most transformative year of my life.

A Year of Visible Change

We all change, constantly. Usually it’s gradual, happening quietly in the background. But the changes I’ve experienced in the last twelve months have been loud and inescapable.

Becoming a mother has unearthed a new level of self-awareness. It’s given me the courage to own who I am and what I want, without constantly bending to what I think I should be doing. That said, I won’t pretend it’s been easy. I’ve experienced moments of intense anxiety and a deep identity crisis.

The Duality of Creativity and Caregiving

Motherhood and creativity often feel like two ends of the same string—connected but in constant tension. Balancing the two is a daily challenge. Finding time to create is hard with a small child, but perhaps because of that, I treasure it more. I work in short, focused bursts, snatching quiet moments when I can. And those small windows have led to some of my most intentional work yet.

Motherhood has given me a renewed drive to pursue my art. It’s helped me refine my brand, focus my style, and—importantly—believe in myself. I’m no longer afraid to say: I want to build something meaningful from my creativity. I want to show my son that a life of passion and purpose is not only possible, but worth fighting for.

Seeing the World with Wonder Again

Spending time with Benjamin is a daily reminder of how magical this world is. Watching him discover life through touch, sound, colour, and movement has encouraged me to slow down and observe more closely. It’s reignited my love for nature and deepened my appreciation for the small, often overlooked details.

It’s also reminded me of how much I adore handmade, handwritten, tactile things. There is something utterly irresistible about holding beautiful paper in your hands, seeing the tiny imperfections that make handmade work so alive. In an increasingly digital, AI-driven world, I find myself craving texture, mess, process—humanity. Maybe that’s partly due to watching a child learn through his senses, but I think it’s also a deep creative instinct.

Permission to Create

One of the hardest decisions I’ve made this year is putting Benjamin into childcare so I can work on my art and my business. I still wrestle with guilt around it.

But without time to create, I lose a part of myself. Art is not just a product I make—it's how I process the world, how I express who I am, how I stay whole. It’s self-care. It’s necessary. And I believe it makes me a better mother, a better partner, a better person.

Even when it’s frustrating—when a painting doesn’t work out, or a commission doesn’t go to plan—I love it. I love the entire process. This journey is messy and imperfect, just like motherhood. But it’s mine. And for that, I’m deeply grateful.

Are you balancing motherhood and creativity too? I’d love to hear your story in the comments.