"My children are four and seven and a lot has changed as the two of them have grown up. I would say initially my inspiration dropped and then plummeted during the toddlerhood of the eldest and pregnancy of my second child. Pregnancy wasn’t easy and a newborn plus a speech delayed preschooler occupied the majority of my life for a season. Once we moved past that challenging parenting stage my creativity started coming back, maybe around three years ago. But things didn’t really take off until a year ago when I started keeping a daily sketchbook and started finding inspiration wherever I went." -Marissa Lee Swinghammer
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Dana Barbieri
"My advice: If your kids are babies then use nap time to work on something. If they are older and curious create with them. That time will soon pass and they will be onto their own interests. Give them large sheets of paper to paint on. Don’t worry about the mess. It’s all a part of the process. Buy them their own supplies. Take them to the art or craft store and let them pick a sketchbook and paints/pencils, etc. Have fun." -Dana Barbieri
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Sonia Brittain
in Artist Mother, Painter
"I think having children has definitely made me more inspired! Since being at home with the children I have painted and drawn more than I ever did when working full time in my previous career (I was a psychiatrist). I also feel I'm much more open to new ideas, and able to appreciate the small things, as drawing makes me look more closely at the world around me." -Sonia Brittain
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