Life as a mom and an artist.

Being a mom is one of my best accomplishments. It’s a job I don’t take lightly and I’m so thankful that the Universe chose me to be the life-giver for my boys.

I know not everyone gets this opportunity and my heart goes out to all of you.

But being mom is a tough gig.

When my boys were little they were all over the place and being 7 years apart meant I was all over the place too.

I have a great hubby – don’t get me wrong. He’s my rock and I’d be eternally lost without him…but there is NO ONE like mom.

My mom bounced out of our lives pretty young and proved she didn’t really enjoy the mom-job as it was anyway so there was NO training on how to be a mom.

I wasn’t prepared.

I’ve made some mistakes along the way but I own them and as my boys have gotten older, I’ve gotten stronger and gave myself some grace.

We can only do what we can do with what we’ve got.

So while my boys didn’t always get the best version of me, I never gave up. I never quit trying. Ever.

My boys have been the center of my universe since I found out they were on the way.

And 10 years ago when I first decided to be an artist, they were at the center of that world too.

At times it has been rough.

Some projects require my entire focus. Some days I have no energy. Some days I don’t want to get out of bed because I know my to-do list is going to be ridiculously long.

And then sets in the guilt.

I’m only one person and while I do have a great hubby, we moms are built (normally) with this 6th sense of knowing when, where, and how things need to get done without anyone telling us.

It’s what we do.

So when I’m trying to take care of an art piece, the boys need X, Y, or Z, the hubby needs an extra set of hands, or I’m just wiped out from trying to juggle it all…what do I do?

If I spend all of my time working on my art, the house gets neglected.

If I spend time working on the house, the kids get neglected.

If I spend all my time taking care of the kids, the hubby gets neglected.

Or any combo of the sort.

After 25 years together, my hubby is very patient and understanding but as I said, he’s my rock and I adore him like no other. So he deserves my time just as much as my art, my kids, the house…

Where does it end?

It doesn’t.

Even when the kids move out, they’re (hopefully) going to need/want my help.

There will always be things that need to be done around the house. I will (again hopefully) always have art pieces that need to get started, finished, packed up and sent off, etc.

So how do I do it?

My plan or at least what I hope to do is try to find balance.

First I cut myself some slack.

While most days I am super-mom, I am human for the most part. There are only so many hours in the day and I am no good to anyone if I’m running on empty.

COVID changed a lot of things so now I have a hybrid schedule where I work from home a few days during the week.

I go to bed around 8-9 most nights and then my day starts pretty early.

On the days I’m working from home, I’m up between 4-5am. I know, that’s before the chickens get up…but it’s what I’ve found works for me.

I’ll work on sketches, I’ve started filming my work for reels, I’m trying to post more consistently, and I want to add more to my blog so if I’m up really REALLY early, I can get a lot of what I need knocked out before the rest of the world wakes up.

Because I’m constantly making progress, that makes me a success.

Because my boys are healthy, safe, and loved that makes me a success.

And even though life might not be perfect, they know they don’t have to face life’s challenges alone, that makes me a success.

My art business is important to me for a lot of reasons.

One of them is to show my boys that you don’t have to work for someone else to build their dreams when you can work for yourself and build your own.

I was raised on the old-fashioned mentality that was you worked, saved, retired, die.

I know, it’s harsh but it’s the way it is.

Life is too short to live like that. And I want to live my life on my own terms. So I’m working to take my art business to the next level.

Maybe it will be something I can leave to my kids.

Maybe I’ll be the sassy version of Mary Englebreit.

Who knows?

But I know one thing – if I don’t at least try, it’s a guarantee that NOTHING will happen.

I am an artist. I am a mom, a wife, and a person.

I am not one of these things without the other. I can’t imagine life without my boys, or my honey. And I can’t imagine life without my art.

It’s taken me a long time to get where I enjoy my art.

Some days I hate it – don’t get me wrong.

Some days the creativity is a struggle for real!

But my first love will always be my kids. And for my kids I choose to do my art. So they can see that with commitment, consistency, and hard work anything is possible.

It is not easy.

Regularly, I battle creative blocks, migraines, menopause symptoms – and that’s just on Tuesday!

It is SO easy to get caught up in the social media spiral thinking these perfect creators are doing it all; they’re thin, they’re happy, they’re successful, and their families are perfect.

News flash – a lot of it staged and full of filters!

I fall into that trap too but we have to remember, NOBODY is perfect.

Imposter syndrome is a real thing and comparing yourself to a content creator on social media doesn’t help.  

We’re all dealing with something but just like I don’t share my bad days with you, you don’t share your bad days with me…and they don’t share their bad days with us.

It’s just how it is.

So don’t worry if your bathroom is a mess, you’ve got 17 months of laundry that needs to be folded, hung up, and put away, and you’ve got more half started projects than finished ones (*cough* guilty!).

You’re human. Cut yourself some slack.

The fact that you woke up this morning means you’ve still got something to do.

One step at a time will make the difference.

And as they say the only sure way to fail is to quit.

I won’t quit being a mom, a wife, or an artist.

And one day all of it will pay off.

🖤🖤🖤