CMSA; a note to working mother/artist and my facebook friend River Darling.
it is as hard as ever to be a parent and an artist; our society doesn't pay us for either!!!!!!!!!!shame on them....and you only have a finite amount of energy and your children need it all, that's true...being an artist was a mixed blessing when my kids were little; it waas great cuz i was less impatient and more cheerful if i got to paint a bit. but your'e so right about the kid needing all of you every moment you can spare...i regret that i would sometimes (under times of great duress, which happened frequently) retreat to the attic to paint and lock the door...to my everlasting fshame i remember my toddlers beating on that closed door...so i think you are right; if you have the generosity to give your child all of you i agree that's better for the child so brava! and you are young; you will have your art time full time i hope when your kids are grown and your money made...these days women get to live so long i've felt like turning 60 was like turning 18; that theres still alot of life and alot of time to paint...i made a deal with my husband too; i asked him to get the kids up and feed them breakfast etc.f so i could sleep til 8 or 9 am; that allowed me to work nights (usually 9pm to 1 or so)...loved those quiet nights, inspirational...you will learn to take advantage of these moments and you will never suffer from artists block again; a working mother simply has a great need to create and not a minute to waste...i learned to work faster ....procrastinate less...and keep a sketchbook so you don't loose all the lovely ideas youre coming up with; you need to get them down, they're like money in the bank, and if you don't , you'll forget them...post your work (like i do) ; even if you
are isolated from other artists you have a loving facebook community that would love to be involved with you and your life...find the other moms trying to do the same . ps. when i was nursing i'm also ashamed to remember i would find dabs of paint on the poor babies bald heads...an occupational hazard for being my sons... and you will do this cuz it's in you, so you have to find a way...all my love and support , cynda