"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
"there have been a lot of ebbs and flows in terms of my creative process. I think I have actually been more prolific since having children as it’s as if I feel more of an urgency to make and create in the time I’ve been given, generally once the kiddies are asleep! It has forced my work to move on a smaller scale too and more recently have been using watercolours as they are way to pack away and quick to dry. " -Paula McGurdy
"I think showing children what it means to be creative is a priceless lesson, especially in today's world where we need creativity. We encourage children to go into STEM fields, not realizing how much creativity is needed to be in those professions, denigrating the part that the arts and humanities play in our lives and in culture as a whole." - Julia Rymer
"The project made me accountable to myself and also showed me that a whole body of work can be made a little at a time… it all adds up to something if you just keep at it. It also forced me to sit down and do the work, even when I wasn’t inspired or in the mood. I work very well with boundaries and parameters, and I have figured out how to make that work for me." - Cassandra Ott
"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
"I am still very new to parenting, but I think it is important for my son to see that I have a creative life of my own. I am a strong believer in kids having alone time to play (sans technology) and let their imagination run wild, and I think I will set an example by showing him that I have my own personal time to be creative. I hope they will take away that even as an adult, they can aspire to continually use their imagination and creativity." - Jessica Levitz
"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
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 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
"There is this stigma that moms have to be perfect and the earth and moon have to revolve around their children. My world definitely shifted when I had my son and I think the pressure to be the best mom even paralyzed me. I feel like I failed myself and my family, early on, by denying myself time away to be an artist. I know now that it is a good thing to be selfish sometimes. It shows your family that you care about yourself. After almost five years of pressuring myself I finally set aside time to create." - Krista Rothwell
"I feel like I have empathy for what it’s like to be a child. It’s hard work learning new things, trying to find out who you are and what you are good at and I feel like I go through that all the time. Also when I tell my kids you need to practice to be good at something, I am showing them that everyday. Plus they see how hard I work AND that I enjoy what I am doing. They also see the lows of when I don’t get a project that I wanted or win a contest that I entered. To show them how you can handle the ups and downs of life is a valuable lesson." - Terri Fry Kasuba
"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 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
"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
"We are planning on spending a few months in Southern France next year. Needless to say, I'm dreaming BIG about that adventure! Walking in the same fields as Van Gogh, visiting Monet's studio and gardens, visiting the town Picasso spent so much of his formative years in... it's going to be so refreshing and exciting and inspiring." - Emily Jeffords
"I have found that I am so much more productive with the precious couple of hours I get during nap time than I used to be with an entire uninterrupted work day stretching before me. There is simply no time to distract myself with social media or other forms of procrastination during studio time. Small children have a way of making you more efficient with your alone time while periods spent in their company become decidedly less “productive”, in the best way possible." - Kristen Abbott
"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!" - Kelly Rossetti
"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
