"Though my head is in constant 'idea' mode, in reality I have very simple desires when it comes to my art and my hopes for the future. I just want to keep creating, to keep finding those precious snippets of time and drive that keep me popping into my little studio when my boys aren't looking. Whether it's a mere 5 minutes or a luscious 30 minute stretch in the early morning, I want to keep adding those shark fin marks, unrestrained scribbles, pops of color and hints of pizzazz to my works. I want to continue to buy tubes of glorious paint, reams of textured watercolor paper and Neocolor II crayons and I want my artwork to continue to evolve as I grapple with new techniques, processes and mediums. " -Melanie Roach
"Somehow once you hit the bottom, the choice seems easier. Stay there forever in the dark or get the heck out. It was now or never. Was I going to live this one precious creative life, or let it slip past, catalogued only by those angry late night doodles (and 3 amazing children!)? I picked up a pencil one day and started to draw (or maybe claw) my way up to where I am now. It’s been hard work. I committed to myself to draw every day, good drawing or not, and just keep going! That was 5 years ago now! I have wavered constantly, especially in confidence, but I’ve rediscovered my own style, and now I feel confident and strong in it. I paint every day and sell my work all the time. I can’t actually express the joy of it! I don’t know – and I do know – why it took me so long to make time for myself. But it is a dream come true. (At last!)." - Trudi Murray
Pre-kids, I was a nuclear medicine technologist and breakdancing was my creative outlet. I stumbled into painting in the fall of 2014, a few months after my second child was born. I wanted to create an art piece for our home and I thought, "hey let me just create some abstract art, because it couldn't be that hard right". I was in for a rude awakening of course. I laugh at myself whenever I think about this." -Yumi Phillips
"I am a big fan of kids learning to play on their own. I often tell them I am not a circus clown and I can not entertain you all the time. We have plenty of moments and times that are just about us being together and doing family things, but I have to grab time and space where I can. I am always present, but I am a do-er and I find it hard to stop in the middle of things create activities. Luckily my children were raised this way and they get it, they get me, and we do our best to communicate that. It works most of the time." -Heather Chontos
"I’m shifting to only working or volunteering during the school hours and taking care of the household business at other times. For me, painting is a form of creating that is more free, it’s not tied to my business and I tend to be more inspired in the evenings to paint. I also feel it sets a good example to my family of doing something analog, I love for my son to see me not working and being more playful." - Jessica Nichols
"Art is such a huge part of our lives and I like to think of my boys as my tiniest and most energetic studio apprentices. They tag along wherever I go, whether it be gallery hopping or hanging shows. We talk about art, we critique, and we color together. They see the bliss I have when creating and making things with my own hands. My wish is that they find this same happiness when they grow up, whether it be as an artist, sculptor, builder, or whatever their true calling may be." - Ann Marie Coolick
"Also, I would argue that there is no real way to streamline life...it's supposed to be messy and crazy, even though it can be really frustrating. It's "a beautiful mess", as they say. We live in Brooklyn without any family nearby and I sometimes wish I could have a little help, but right now I am thankful just to be doing what I love and raising a happy, smart, silly little girl!" - Megan of Art by Megan
"I worried a lot about my daughters not seeing me in my professional career like I had when my first was little but with the girls watching me create a new business and find such joy in painting I feel incredibly blessed. They are seeing me build a business that fits into our lives, their lives, and makes me happy. I feel they they will take away excellent life management skills from watching their mama. I know that painting makes me a much better mother. I am happier when I am able to explore my creative side and also put to use my business skills. I love raising three independent girls and always encourage them to seek out what makes them happy and remind them that they are responsible for creating a life they love." - Kristin Try
"Now it is a bit easier to find time as they are teenagers. They are less demanding but even as teens my studio is still in the dining room in the middle of the house and there are still constant interruptions. I didn’t have the option to not work outside the home or pay for childcare or stay home once they were in school. I couldn’t stay up late doing art because I got up early for work. I’m sure that I could have done more art. I really yearned to be a full time artist and have a studio and stay home. My focus was to have them here with me and know that I cared about their projects and show them that I was happy making things and they could be also. It worked out well, they always had something that they were interested in and now are very self directed and have that love of learning and making instilled." - Lisa Rydin Erickson
"Since having my son nearly four years ago now, my work and approach has certainly changed for the better. It’s funny how children force you to get laser-focused and efficient at whatever it is you do. And trust me, “laser-focused” is not an adjective I would have ever used to describe myself. Part of that and probably the biggest change has been simply staying on task and “creating” on a schedule – something that you’re just forced to do with children. Basically, I now listen to my instinct a lot more, which in turn has helped to instill a certain confidence in my work. My son has given me a new source of energy and motivation to create despite the daily stresses of being a mother. His imagination and thirst for discovery are infectious and I try to channel that into my work EVERY day." - Eva Magill-Oliver
"Oh it was very difficult when I first started getting into painting to find the time. Basically, if she was asleep, I was painting (and her naps were unpredictable and usually short in those early days). After she started attending her Mother’s Day Out program, it became much easier. The time I have while she is at school is sacred to me. I don’t run errands, shop, or sit on the couch. I go into my studio, turn up my music and I don’t come out until it’s time to go pick her up." - Ashlee McClung
"I hope my kids take away the importance of being creative in life. It can be a good soother and fulfills a need I think we all have to participate in life from a different angle. I also want them to know that they can do something they love and find a way to make it happen. I feel like an artistic practice teaches a type of ingenuity and problem solving that can serve them well. I also hope that the way I see things is advantageous to them, how I point out color or something that in nature is simply beautiful. It is a way to find joy all the time." - Heather Kirtland
"My tip is just this. Find the time. Make opportunities for yourself. If the only time you have is at night, hand over the kids and get into your happy place and create. Even if it's for 15 minutes. In those 15 minutes, you can find yourself and get motivated to find the next 15 minutes. Hopefully you have supportive people in your life who can allow you focus time on your art. I like to live by this quote: "Every morning you have two choices: continue to sleep with your dreams, or wake up and chase them." Not sure who wrote that one, but it's good!" - Hannah Betzel
"I’ve been painting consistently for a few years before having my first daughter. After she was born, I felt a surge of inspiration and creativity. I became much more purposeful with my time and the direction of my art. I knew that raising the girls was going to be my primary focus, so I needed to find a way to fit my passion and career into that. One of the biggest changes since having children has been the limited hours to create. I’ll be in the middle of a piece, inspired and in the zone, and I’ll have to walk away to focus on family life. I think that as mothers, we are always adjusting to the changing daily demands and needs of our children. Understanding this fluidity has helped me both in my studio practice and in creating art." - Karina Bania
"My lifestyle has DEFINITELY changed since having a little one, but I think the greatest change has been the “clarity”. I think I used to feel like I could give my attention to everything, and that if I just buckled down enough, I could make it all work. But we all have a limited amount of time and energy to spend and I want to spend mine wisely. I know I want to be totally present for my daughter in the day, when we play or read. When my husband comes home, I want to be able to give him at least a few minutes of undivided attention, to connect and hear about each other’s day. And maybe most surprisingly (to me), I know I want to make my creative side a priority- it’s not just a hobby, it’s a big piece of my overall well-being!" - Natasha Martin of Violet Tinder
"I am hoping that my kids see that they can make a living doing something they love. Being an artist is a legitimate way to build a business and lively hood. In fact I will be as bold to say that successful artists out there making it in the world are some of the hardest working people I know. I want my girls to see that if you work hard and you have a passion you can achieve your dreams. I want them to know the importance of being yourself, and listening to your heart. Don’t let opinions of others or fears get in the way of your vision. To be successful in life you don’t have to go about it in the traditional manner, and down the stereotypical path. Blaze your own trail!" -Suze Ford
"Art is just a part of our daily life. My daughter knew all of her colors before she could count to 10 or say her ABCs. She roll-plays running an art business more than being a princess or fairy and I love it! She tells me she will sell me her art for “26” or that she needs to take her art to the post office." -Kristine Brookshire
"I’m constantly in awe of my children’s curiosity and imagination. I find great inspiration in watching them explore their surroundings and love seeing the look of amazement in their eyes as they discover something new. This sense of wonder and exploration absolutely influences my creating. I am more excited to try new mediums to see what I can create. I only recently started experimenting with watercolor and am love with it! It may be my new favorite medium." -Christine Joy
"I really hate the idea of having a schedule, of doing the same thing at the same time every day, its death to me. But having a schedule has helped us, also keeping the house German level organized and clean and always doing dishes or laundry right away has really helped us keep our sanity at home. I have given up sleeping in, but she wakes up at 7am, that’s not too bad really. Also my husband and I divide tasks, we always know what we are supposed to do. When its his time to take care of her I let him do whatever he does. If I disagree when what he is feeding her, or how she spends her time I don’t say anything because I need time off, and also if I tell him what to do all the time he won’t learn for himself and I will just be constantly doing it all. That is for sure not going to happen, so I don’t micro manage, or I try not to." -Michelle Armas
"It's important to me to show our children that I'm are being brave and truthful with my life. I want my children to know they can pursue their dreams and face fears they may have while pursuing their goals and they need to see me doing that as well. Hopefully my kids will remember seeing me being passionate about my art and will see how it fed me and that it was glorifying to God." - Maria Kamara
