A few months ago I took Nathaniel to a play date with one of my very favorite bloggers and her adorable son. I was telling this experienced mother of four how shocked I was by the number of non-Nathaniel related projects I’d accomplished since he was born. It’s like he gave me a creativity and productivity boost.
I’ve taught myself how to use two new graphic software programs and redesigned my blog twice. I’m taking more photographs and writing more blog posts than I ever have before. I’ve created an editorial calendar. I’m visiting art stores and collecting objects for collages. I’m reading. I’m working full-time. I’m traveling. I’m going to brunch. I’m hanging out with my husband and son and our friends. I’m Tweeting. I’m Pinning. I’m Hello Giggling.
“How is this possible?” I asked this wise woman.
She smiled. “You’ve learned the value of time.”
The sheer number of things that you can accomplish in an hour when you don’t have the luxury of lounging around eating organic tortilla chips and watching reruns of Friends and 90210 will amaze you.
Of course, I’m one of the lucky ones. I have a wonderful, loving husband who is a happily super involved father that carries half of the childcare load and all of the cooking. I honestly don’t know how I could do it without him.
Even when you share the responsibilities, some things must go. There are days when I look in the mirror and I’m like, “Where did this extra row of eyebrow come from?” I wear yoga pants on a regular basis even though I haven’t done yoga since my nearly one-year old son was in the womb for two months. You have to make choices, and now I choose art and writing over fashion. Oh, who am I kidding? I left fashion behind in 2008, along with cigarettes and marketing movies in Los Angeles.
I guess the lesson is that even though your personal time will take a hit after you introduce motherhood into the picture, it doesn’t mean that you will be creatively void. You just have to make choices instead of heading back to the time buffet for seconds or thirds. Do you want to spend an hour recreating the look that Mr. Skinny Jeans Goth gave you at MAC or do you want to meet your friend for coffee?
Post-baby life is different. But I swear it’s worth it.