Her eyes held the ache of being caught in the tension.  Am I crazy to be a mom and still pursue my dream of writing? 

We were headed home from two days at a writing conference. Our brains were full of information, strategies and big dreams.  Her husband and toddler pulled up to the curb. I feel crazy for pursuing writing and building a business while my son is so little, but I also feel like I have to — for me.

I related to every word she was saying and although our conversation was cut short with the arrival of her family coming to pick her up, I told her. You are not crazy. It’s hard, but you are not crazy.

I still feel this way.

Related image

Although the writing mom often feels like an inchworm in terms of the progress being made with her words – she is moving forward. Although the writing mom often feels like a sticky hand toy, slapped against the demands of her family, her work and her soul – she is moving forward. Her life may not be balanced (what is that anyway!!) and her house may not be spotless (this bothers her more than it bothers her family and friends) – she is creating space for her voice and her soul to expand. This is brave.

If you were created to write – all areas of your life will be impacted when you are writing and this can be a good thing!

This does not mean that we sacrifice all on the altar of writing. What good are mountains of words if we are disconnected from those we love?

Great art is not an escape from life. It supports and enriches the life of the artist and the viewer.

When I am not writing – I grow resentful and tired of all the noise and life around me, even of the noise and life of those I love.

When I am writing – I am tired from the work of it, but I am able to relax and relish time with my loved ones.

The tension still exists but we use our creative power to navigate through it – the tension can fuel us forward.

When we stay in the tension – unwilling to sacrifice our loved ones or our writing – creative solutions emerge. Although we may swing from side to side of the tension, we do not give up. We continue to inchworm is forward. One step at a time.

We give ourselves buckets of grace because we are managing a tension between two valuable gifts:

our loved ones and our writing.

 

For my top two strategies for managing the tension, I have a guest post on ModernSimplicity.org. Check it out here.
If you’re longing for a community of creatives, I’m starting a book club on Julia Cameron’s The Artist Way on June 1st 2017. To join email me at welshdeanne@gmail.com.
Least but not least, a new book just released by one of my online mentors Jeff Goins, Real Artists Don’t Starve. There are free bonuses (over $200 value) for ordering the book and I have added this to my future book club list! #staytuned