Hi, I’m Seychelle! Welcome to my first blog post!
As I have grown in my parenting journey, I have had the pleasure of speaking with creatives of all backgrounds seeking advice and sharing secrets regarding the many intricacies of balancing a creative career with one’s parenting journey in the twenty-first century. I decided that it may be a better use for everyone to create a space that supports creatives on their parenting journey.
Before we get to it, let me share a little about myself. In case you missed it, my name is Seychelle and I’m a mom with many hats including musician, wife, educator, performer, and administrator. If you’ve checked out my website, then you may already know that I’m based in Boston, and yes! I still pronounce the ‘d’ in the word “card.”
I’ve always believed in community, either joining one or creating a new one. Community is so valuable in navigating the many aspects of who we are, but if you are like me, entering parenthood can result in feeling isolated either personally, professionally, or both.
In the beginning, I was on a mission to find a supportive space where I could ask all the questions that were plaguing me every single day. Those spaces felt prescribed and often didn’t address the specific needs and questions that I had. I also found myself in spaces that weren’t with regular people, you know, "regular" people. Those of us who may not have a lot of help, with two active working parents, navigating a diagnosis, and not getting any sleep. It can be an incredibly frustrating feeling when you don’t feel “seen.”
BUT…
You’ll be seen here, or at least heard (unless you want to send a picture) and that is where this blog can help you. I want musicians, artists, writers, and anyone else who enjoys creating to know there is a community of like-minded folks learning every day how to continue our passion for art with those happy, unforgetting giggles, messy eaters, cuddle monsters, poop factories and long, sleepless nights.
Let’s start with the BIG question I get asked all of the time! “How do you do it?” First, you should know that you are doing it too! I mean that; a parenting journey is different from person to person, whether you are taking time off, creating part-time, or fully active in creative spaces. My ability to create fluctuates throughout the year. I used to feel frustrated by this, mostly because as a creative when we aren't creating, we aren't working, or even worse; we feel unfulfilled. Over time, I leaned into the fluctuation of my family’s schedule and used it as an opportunity to prepare for active creativity, either practicing, rehearsing, or performing. This balance has helped me to focus on my craft in heightened short-term intervals, while being intentional with my family in our day-to-day lives, with the bonus of having a little time to rest when I'm not active.
"Is that it?" and the answer is yes and no, which may not feel the most helpful at the moment, but let's face it, there is a lot to unpack when we think about how we are doing all of the things we are doing which is why my next blog post is going to dive right into the basics of balance, a core tool for all parents.
Parenting is a long, winding road, with many unexpected road conditions. We are on this road together even if I choose to turn right and you choose to turn left, ultimately we are still sharing the experience of the path we are on. Parenting is amazingly joyful and hard. It challenges who we are and can transform us into an unexpected version of ourselves. This blog will be much the same, because parenting is unpredictable, no matter how much we fool ourselves into thinking otherwise....and we absolutely fool ourselves!
That's the post folks! Welcome to the blog and welcome to a new community. I'm so happy you're here!
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