“If you find yourself in the situation of recently having created life, it won’t hurt to recognize the spiritual doors that have opened to you...” - Rachel Rose
Our Voices, Our Stories
Two years after the birth of my son Julius in 2012, the Art of Motherhood program was born! Now the Art of Motherhood program has grown and is entering the public arena on a whole new level. Join us for upcoming workshops and retreats and check out our community gallery. Visit the Art of Motherhood section on our new website to learn more…
The Art of Motherhood program invites you to:
- Take a break from your responsibilities and enjoy the opportunity for self-reflection and creativity.
- Allow yourself to be nurtured and taken care, while you make new mom friends.
- Turn the raw material of your daily life into fuel for the creative process, helping you to feel more inspired as you navigate your day-to-day life.
A Time to Create
The idea for this program started during long walks with other moms as we attempted to sneak in bits of adult conversations while pushing our sleeping babies in their strollers. This idea emerged as I struggled to write down my reflections about my own journey into motherhood, a topic so vast and a transformation so complete that it felt impossible to know where to begin. Other than painting some decorations for my son’s room, I had very limited opportunities to create art in my studio over the course of those first two years. My paintbrushes stared back at me, forlorn, wondering where I had disappeared to, and if I would be coming back. I began to ask myself the question, “How can I be a mom and an artist?” I felt full of rich raw material for new creative work, but I was so devoted to my son that I felt like I was giving him all of the creative energy that I had, energy that I used to pour into my poetry and art.
Hungry for Self-reflection
I was hungry for a chance to engage in self-reflection and creativity in a supportive community of other moms. During the early period of my son’s life, I savored the rare occasions when I had the chance to write or make art with other moms. Creating and sharing our pieces gave us a much needed outlet to express the spectrum of thoughts and feelings we had bottled up inside during this initial transition into parenthood. These gatherings with other moms led me to think seriously about developing a curriculum and a series of program offerings, as well as eventually creating an anthology to honor and empower women in the early years of their motherhood journey.
Family Life, A New Creative Opportunity
Starting a family of my own has offered me access to a deeper level of understanding and a new perspective around the work I have been doing with families over the last fifteen years. I began to perceive the often invisible work that goes into building a family and the incredible transformation that parents go through during the early years of adapting to parenthood. In addition to helping people look back on their lives to tell their stories, it has become clear to me that I also want to dedicate myself to helping support and inspire people to tell their stories while they are actually experiencing these pivotal and poignant life experiences. During the early years of parenthood, the opportunity to share stories feels critical for providing validation, support and building community.
I am excited to welcome you to the Art of Motherhood Community!