When I first had my kids, I assumed I would continue to be at the piano regularly playing my songs and writing new ones, anytime I was inspired. My music was my greatest creative outlet and my most passionate joy. I had been playing since childhood, and found writing music to be cathartic and therapeutic in so many ways. It was my refuge, my release, my relief when I most needed the barricade to fall- allowing the emotional waters to spill through.
For years and years, this was my way of expressing myself and healing. I never even considered letting it go, because it was a part of who I was and how I was able to function and operate in this world. I needed this outlet to be healthy, to be whole, to be me.
After I had my kids, my intentions slowly turned and changed and faded into the background of my life, now filled with parenting two little ones that seemed to consume my time and my emotional energy- leaving nothing for my greatest gift- Music.
At first, I hardly noticed. I was too overwhelmed with caring for my kids- as my first-born had challenges we were forced to muddle through and figure out. As I continued to teach music, I was pouring what little energy I had into that, leaving no room for my creative sanctuary. It seemed I lost my passion for this significant part of who I was, as it became buried underneath my parenting role.
It was a new life with kids, I declared. A new season where there is less of me and more of them. I was exhausted and worried and constantly caring for them, which was my priority and my new passion. Motherhood has a way of redefining who we are, and that isn’t a bad thing. I think it took me several years to understand how important it is to allow space for more. Any mom can surely continue a career, enjoy a hobby or pursuit a passion, and in doing so, you will be better off for it.
I got stuck in motherhood, dismissing and neglecting much of who I was and that was okay for a while. Sometimes I believe motherhood calls you to be solely focused on your children, when seasons arise in raising them where your attention is necessary to address the demands of their lives. It needed to happen, those early years were difficult and navigating through some really hard issues with my child was exactly where I needed to be. I continued to prioritize things for myself, choosing to do bible studies and reaching out to connect with friends. But this one area in my life, I neglected. This creative side that is a crucial part of who I am.
I’m so glad I found it again, here on this blog and in my writing.
Today I want to share a really important book with you, titled “The Busy Mom’s Guide to Creativity.” Bev Feldman is a blogger and a small business owner over at Linkouture. She makes her own jewelry with the creative gift she has in design. You really need to go check out her stuff. It’s exquisite and so is she.
Bev has a passion for helping moms find their own creative gifts, and how to find time to explore and experience this needed outlet in our lives. Her book walks the reader through defining things that inspire joy and how to create space in our lives in order to do just that. I love how she offers testimonies of many moms who have navigated this tricky road to finding and honoring their creative passion. Reading so many different personal experiences in how others discovered ways to find creativity in their own lives while juggling the responsibilities of motherhood, was truly inspiring.
The message of this book wraps around pursuing things that fill us and fuel us, and Bev tackles issues that hinder our ability to do just that. This book is about motivating us moms to break through those barriers of time and ‘mom guilt’ and identify new ways to grow and thrive within our busy schedules as moms.
This wonderful workbook is filled with stepping stones for us to take toward making goals in the area of creativity and threading it through our lives. She tackles tough topics like:
What’s holding you back?
What makes you happy?
What does creativity mean to you?
Why find time for creativity?
Get rid of mom guilt.
Let things go.
Getting away from busy.
And after she guides us through these defining decisions, she then offers us helpful ideas on how to tap into our creative pursuits. I love how she walks us through each step with space to write down our daily schedules to find wasted time we could use for creativity. Bev identifies barriers we all face in finding the time for ourselves, and she addresses them with wisdom and advice in the remaining chapters of her book.
She focuses on how to manage your time, and how to include your children in creative pursuits as well. I especially love the “Pomodoro Technique” she shares, where you do one task for 25 minutes, and then take a break. These small segments can help us be more intentional with our time and allow us to stay focused on our mission in a much more productive way.
This book is a worthy read for all moms who need help in discovering and defining areas they want to pursuit that tap into their creativity. Do you know a mom who would benefit from this workbook? I think it would be a lovely gift for a new mom or any mom who longs to enrich that part of her life, but just can’t seem to find the time to do it. Bev does an amazing job of igniting that creative fire and helping you figure out how to find the space and freedom to pursuit that passion.
You can download the kindle version of the book for only 99 cents or buy the beautiful paperback HERE.
I love Bev from Linkouture. Her book sounds amazing and much-needed.
I love her too, Katy! And her book is AMAZING. I’m sure it will help moms everywhere, to find the time and space to nourish their creative passion once again. 🙂
Finding time for our creativity definitely gives balance to approach all other daily tasks with a more joyful spirit, I find! Thank you for introducing this book to me. And I like the idea of breaking down tasks to 25 minutes and then taking a break. Often I don’t start just because it seems like it might be too much time to take on a particular day, but breaking it down gets the momentum going.
Exactly, Lynn! That’s why I loved that idea too. (I’m doing it right now! LOL)
It’s really a much needed resource for moms who haven’t been able to find the time and create that balance in their lives. I’m sure it will help many!!
Thanks for sharing this resource. This hits home for me! With a toddler at home, it is difficult to find a balance between mommy duties and creative activities. It’s exhausting!
Exactly, Ivette! This book would be PERFECT for you! It is sooo hard to find that time and energy to nourish that creative side in you. I remember those days… Keep trying!! And get the book. It will help immensely.
Looks like great minds really do think alike as I re-shared my original article review for Bev today, too. Seriously, love her book and the reminder that we do need to let our creativity shine as moms 😉
LOVE that we both shared her book Janine! Bev really focused on something that is important to all moms and it is SO needed for us all.
Thank you for sharing your story, Chris! I knew you played piano (as do I!) but I didn’t realize you also wrote music. If your playing is anything like your writing, I’m sure it is absolutely beautiful! I’m so glad you found this for your creative outlet. You are so talented with words and I learn so much from reading your blog.
Aw BEV! You are so kind. Thank you so much for your beautiful encouragement and compliments, my friend. It really means the world to me. 🙂 I LOVED your book!! What a gift YOU have with words and the intention and goal behind this book is amazing. I’m so proud of you and so excited for your incredible accomplishment. I was honored to read it and share it with everyone here. 🙂
I love Bev.
And I’m glad you’re writing too.
Aw!! Bev is the best. And hey, I’m glad you’re writing TOOOOOOOO!! 🙂
I read this book twice. I really need to write about it myself and I’m not sure why I didn’t today? Sick kids make me forgetful.
Bev is a creative/busy mom genius!
Bev is amazing. I just loved this book! And yes- write about it! I get it though… sick kids throw me off every time. 🙁 I hope by now they are well and you are doing well, sweetie. 🙂
Just read about the book on Janine s blog. I need to get it. I need to find a way to find time to write. Feeling a little lost and overwhelmed with the new job, and miss my blog routine: (.
You got a new job???!!! No wonder why it’s been quiet over at your place, honey!! What job? I’m sure it’s so hard to find the time now, especially. I would feel lost and overwhelmed too… 🙁 I hope you can manage to nourish this really beautiful gift you have alongside your new job, my friend.
I feel like this one is for me too Chris. It’s hard to find time for what matters for us, outside of the fabulous yet crazy hours we are spending as mums.
I have a hard time with the guilt part. But I am sure I can work around this and find solutions. Thank you for sharing this great book with us.
Stay blessed my friend.
Oh I hear ya, Marie. That guilt. Yes! I’m still working on that too. Finding that balance between our kids’ needs and ours is so very hard. I know. And it’s good our kids see us doing things for ourselves too- I remind myself that often. 🙂
I saw this over at Janie’s blog and love it! Finding time for ourselves as moms I think is something we moms really need to work harder at but we all know that is easier said than done. I am learning now as my kids are not teenagers that its okay for me to wonder off into my office and work on a blog or photo project.
I agree, my friend. We all need to be more intentional about making that time and space to fill ourselves up. The older my kids get, the easier it gets. I’m sure I’ll get even more time when my kids are teens. 🙂
This book sounds great! I too have neglected my creativity, which is an essential part of who I am, for years here and there. I think I’ve finally figured out how to incorporate it on a more regular basis. Blogging is part of that. I hope this book helps many many moms fill all parts of themselves!
I’m so glad you too, have found your creative outlets Sabrina! It really is an essential part of who we are. I love how you said that. SO true. 🙂
Hi Chris! I played guitar and sang, and did that all through high school and college. My twelve string ended up in my son’s hands. Lord only knows where that is now.
I just bought some paint and a numbered canvas. I think I need to get a little art therapy goin’ on! I like the way this author encourages creative outlets. We all need them! Not only does it develop the natural gifts we have been given, it just feels right.
Hope she sells and sells!!
Ceil
ART THERAPY!! LOVE IT Ceil!! Go paint girl! It’s refreshing to try new things, yes? My guitar ended up in my best friend’s son’s hands… 🙂
Same. So much same.
As you say, it was a Season – I season I enjoyed of course; but one I think I made much harder on myself than it needed to be. I also had the added “benefit” of several people in my life who thought it their business to question much of what I wanted to do. When you suddenly start to focus on the me you were neglecting, the ones who used to suck up that time and energy; don’t like to see it go. Thankfully knowing myself became a more important priority than offering explanations to all the busy body know it alls.
You must not lose touch with that spark/spirit that is within you. It’s a life force!
Ah- you touched on SUCH an important part of this Leslie. I get it. we really do need to set boundaries with our time and energy, to nourish our creative side and grow! If people don’t understand, or they expect too much- we really need to stay true to ourselves and our purpose/passion.
This sounds like a beautiful book, thanks for sharing, Chris!
It is such a great guide to help moms find their way back to being creative and renewing that part in them, or maintaining it! Bev makes it easy to do- and the pay off is huge, of course!
Super excited about this! I love anything with worksheets that make me take a look inside myself and focus in a more healthy direction. Creativity for me is a huge stress relief, and I love the idea of a break (the “Pomodoro Technique”). It makes sense.
YES! Creativity is such a huge stress relief, isn’t it? And gosh, it really is a critical piece to our own health and WELLNESS. I love the Pomodoro Technique too. (I’m doing it right now!! LOL) (tick tock)
I need this book PRONTO and I can SO relate to your story. Don’t we all lose ourselves? Time to rediscover!
AMEN girl! I know I did. This is such a perfect way to find it again… 🙂
I don’t think I knew that you were a musician. No wonder I like you so much! 🙂
Finding a creative outlet is so important for moms. Yes, there is a season where you are in the trenches and can hardly find time to take a shower much less create something…but when the trenches aren’t so deep anymore, it’s important to find time for you!
Yes! Those trenches can be tough, but when we come up for air- we can be intentional with our time and make room for that important part of who we are. Moms deserve that!
This was an awesome book! Just the fact that Bev managed to create such a useful product for moms is proof that she knows what she is talking about.
Ah… great point, Dana! 🙂
This so speaks to me now in my life as I put so much of myself aside for 18 years to be a mom..I juggle my creative film work with mothering, not always a great juggler at that, but it gave me a piece of myself back..but an 18 year old sometimes needs just as much as a child as they navigate the world, so I find myself fragmented once again! The book seems wonderful and a great tool! I love that you play the piano and are finding ways to be creative as you parent, and what a beautiful blog you’ve created too! I bet your music is a gift! Blessings to you, such a wonderful, creative woman who seeks balance and wholeness! And shares this wonderful journey with us..we are blessed!
I love you. I just love you. Your comment just is so thoughtful and encouraging. You’re ALWAYS so thoughtful and encouraging. It’s an ongoing challenge to keep our creative side thriving, isn’t it? This book is such a lovely guide to help moms do just that.
I’m still a work in progress when it comes to “Balance and wholeness”… lol 🙂 This woman has a long way to go.