"One thing I know for sure about myself, deep down inside to be true, is that I can always paint myself out of a corner. When you have creativity and know how to use it, the possibilities are endless. You are never stuck for long. I hope my daughter can grow up to value creativity. To know that it is something of incredible value and importance. To know that it should be nourished and no matter what your interest or calling, being creative makes your life experiences all that much more rich. To be able to appreciate art and create is to be truly free. " - Lisa Anderson Shaffer of Zelma Rose
"I also need to say that my answers to these questions are all true. However, I have hours, days, and even weeks where I forget what I truly believe. Where I forget what I have told myself over and over again. Days where I feel immense mother /parent guilt for not being the “perfect parent,” which does not exist. Hours where I mentally put myself in a fetal position and have a pity party, with my self doubt as the honored guest. (FYI this pity party happens about once per month.) And I can’t tell you how many times I have yelled at my husband that I think I should just give up on art. So, with that said, I advise you that no matter what answer you are looking for, or from where these answers are coming from, above all have compassion for yourself and your craft. Listen to the answers and know that they are not an end, but a constant practice." - Megan Gray
"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
"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 believe mothers have an invaluable amount to contribute to creative society. It’s all about balance. Knowing that my path in life is to be both a mother and an artist allows me to maintain a certain balance between the two roles. Being able to do both is a real privilege!" -Georgina Forbes
"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
"My experience as a parent has been a crash course in going with the flow, slowing down and enjoying the ride. Consequently, my art-making has become more joyful and much more process-focused than it used to be. I was a full time artist with an out-of-home studio space before my first son was born. So when I first started really working to carve out time to make art while caring full time for my kids, I viewed the new constraints on my time and on my work space as negatives. But the reverse has turned out to be true, which has been such a surprise! While I do have significantly less time for art than I used to, it turns out that I’m a lot more focused when I work in smaller chunks of time. And my family and household obligations force me to step away from my work (in a good way), so that I can come back later with fresh eyes. This really saves me from over-thinking and over-working things." -Kaetlyn Able
"I pinpoint the moment my daughter was born as one of the most inspirational moments of my life. They say that emotionally draining, difficult or overwhelming moments can spark creativity in a person, and I think that’s exactly what happened to me. I’ve always been creative, secretly, and self-critically. However, when Amelia was born I decided to just roll with it… to own it. I became pretty prolific, mostly because I had little time to create, but also because I never went to art school or anything so I felt like I needed to teach myself so many mediums, techniques, and to learn so much in such a short period of time. I wanted to get into a groove right away." - Jaime Derringer
"It makes me a better mother because it allows me to do what I love, which makes me happy, which benefits everyone. If I’m not happy, I notice it carries over to the rest of the family. Plus, my kids see me working hard to try to earn money for the family and I feel like that is good for them. Especially my daughters, I want them to know that they can do anything."-Beth Allen
