"Luckily I’ve found that working in small bursts here and there does have its benefits (despite sometimes being frustrating). I’ve realised it’s good to have plenty of time to reflect on a painting in between stages; it helps to ‘live’ with it for a day or two and come back to it with fresh eyes to build up the colours. Also I think having limited time really pushes me to be bold and take risks; there simply isn’t time to procrastinate." - Emily Harrison
Read Moreacrylics
Yumi Phillips
Pre-kids, I was a nuclear medicine technologist and breakdancing was my creative outlet. I stumbled into painting in the fall of 2014, a few months after my second child was born. I wanted to create an art piece for our home and I thought, "hey let me just create some abstract art, because it couldn't be that hard right". I was in for a rude awakening of course. I laugh at myself whenever I think about this." -Yumi Phillips
Read MoreJessica Nichols
"I’m shifting to only working or volunteering during the school hours and taking care of the household business at other times. For me, painting is a form of creating that is more free, it’s not tied to my business and I tend to be more inspired in the evenings to paint. I also feel it sets a good example to my family of doing something analog, I love for my son to see me not working and being more playful." - Jessica Nichols
Read MoreAnn Marie Coolick
"Art is such a huge part of our lives and I like to think of my boys as my tiniest and most energetic studio apprentices. They tag along wherever I go, whether it be gallery hopping or hanging shows. We talk about art, we critique, and we color together. They see the bliss I have when creating and making things with my own hands. My wish is that they find this same happiness when they grow up, whether it be as an artist, sculptor, builder, or whatever their true calling may be." - Ann Marie Coolick
Read MoreEmily Jamison
"For me, being an artist feeds a part of my soul that wasn’t fulfilled before. I believe that I am more wholly myself when my drive to create is being met. I hope that my children will see that being an artist can exist apart from a career, and that being creative can be expressed in a variety of ways, but that everyone is creative in their own right. I also hope that my children will take away the idea that self-fulfillment is not selfish, but that it is a necessary part of self-care that makes you a better parent, sibling, and friend." - Emily Jamison
Read MoreKarina Bania
"I’ve been painting consistently for a few years before having my first daughter. After she was born, I felt a surge of inspiration and creativity. I became much more purposeful with my time and the direction of my art. I knew that raising the girls was going to be my primary focus, so I needed to find a way to fit my passion and career into that. One of the biggest changes since having children has been the limited hours to create. I’ll be in the middle of a piece, inspired and in the zone, and I’ll have to walk away to focus on family life. I think that as mothers, we are always adjusting to the changing daily demands and needs of our children. Understanding this fluidity has helped me both in my studio practice and in creating art." - Karina Bania
Read MoreBrooklyn Lamb
"I’ve found that it’s pointless to only work when I feel “inspired”. I plan my schedule, and I stick to it. Honestly, I’ve been able to create better work by just being consistent. Most of my cleaning gets done when my daughter is awake. She loves helping and I think it’s important to teach her these life skills in a fun way. But when I can’t “do everything”, I’m OK with the laundry waiting for me, and etc. My husband is a huge help with cleaning so that is a huge bonus. I really don’t watch much TV, or read as much as like I would like to, but I don’t really feel like I’ve had to give anything up because I’m doing everything that I need to do for my well being." -Brooklyn Lamb
Read More