Artist Mothers Together

***Okay. This is a long post but worth your time. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in!

~~I've been thinking lately about the purpose of my blog. Why I started it and what I'm hoping to achieve with it.
~~You may or may not know this about me but this year is really my return to art after a long break. I had done very little art since our second daughter was born in March 2005. We had a difficult first year with health problems for both her and me. At times the priority seemed to be just making it through the day and the long nights. As a result, my art got put on the backburner even though I probably needed it the most during those times.
~~Two years later we were both healthy and well, but I was feeling an emptiness in part of my life. I felt very fulfilled and happy with my role as Mommy and yet there was a part of me that was missing. In the Fall of 2006 we had some very scary and life changing things happen to our family. I won't go into the details but it truly was one of those times where you come to a fork in the road and you know that life has to change. As I look back on that time I can see that it was God's hand, gently leading us in a way that we wouldn't have chosen on our own but are now so thankful for.
~~Deep inside I knew that my art was the missing puzzle piece for me. And yet, the years away had caused a lot of fear and uncertainty to build up inside. What if I had lost my ability?
What if I just couldn't do it anymore? And most importantly, was there really a way to balance Motherhood and art? For some reason it just felt so selfish to want that time.
~~I began reading through the book "The Artist's Way" and working on letting go of my fears. In the book Julia Cameron speaks about synchronicity. How, when you truly open yourself and your mind up to your dreams, God will work in ways you never could have imagined. I truly believe that happened and my Little Angel piece was a result.
~~I began this blog as a way to encourage myself to keep going with my art. I wanted to use it as sort of a "Journal of the Journey," a way to keep myself accountable. But I'm starting to feel that there might be another purpose as well.
~~When I started back with my art, I scoured the internet for information on women who were both Mothers and Artists. I was disappointed with the lack of information and resources for Artist Moms. But as I kept up my search, I started finding them; Women and Mothers with many different types of artistic talents, seeking to live a life of creativity and joy and to share it with their children. Women on their own artistic journeys through Motherhood. Women who have come to realize that being an Artist (or Writer, or Scrapbooker, or Seamstress, or Photographer, etc.) is a part of who they are. And that living life creatively is in no way a selfish thing. In fact, it makes you a better Mother. I started getting encouragement from women who had waited until their children were older to come back to their art. They said, "Don't make my mistake. Don't put it off."
~~I feel that Artist Moms have a bond of understanding that needs no words. There are days when it comes easy, and days when it's a struggle. There are days when you have to choose between folding the laundry and painting and sometimes you need that encouragement to just let the laundry lay. And there are days when you wonder if there really are other Artist Moms out there who are making it work.
~~That is what has been on my mind a lot lately. The strength that women can give each other through encouragement. The fact that there are other Artist Moms on the journey with wisdom they could share.
~~I have an idea on my heart to start a series on my blog of interviews with Artist Moms. It's something that I'm going to start working on. At this point, I'm not sure if I have many readers at all. But maybe some of you out there have something you can share. It doesn't matter what your talent is. See here. Maybe your children are grown now and you have wisdom that you wish you had when they were younger. Maybe you're expecting a baby and you're just starting this amazing journey. Or maybe you're right in the middle of it all with Cheerio crumbs in your couch and sticky peanut butter kisses on your cheeks. (And not to isolate any guys out there. I believe you too have great ideas on balancing art and life.)
~~Like I said, this is an idea that I plan to work on and am excited about. If you have something to share or would like to be added to my list to interview, just send me an email or leave me a comment. Or if you know other Artist Moms, please share this idea with them as well.
~~The joy is in the journey! Come along for the ride.