Pushing paint around a canvas may not sound like everyone's cup of tea, but it's what I love most in the world (after my husband, child, friends and family, of course!). I'm a 34 year old mum to the beautiful Martha and I have a confession. I LOVE being a Mum so much and when I recently heard that my pre-baby job in TV might not be available part time, I was a little sad, but mostly hugely relieved. It gives me the opportunity to put my varied CV of jobs ranging from IT consultant to TV production marketer behind me, and focus on being a Mum and an artist.
So, is it OK in this day and age to WANT to perform the role of mother and housekeeper? I have settled into a wonderful routine of keeping both my house clean, my child clothed, fed and watered, my husband in lunches and suppers whilst also fulfilling a strong urge to paint and create. Each day is so special, seeing my daughter growing up and becoming a real character. Each evening I get out my paints and experiment with colours and textures to my hearts content and by the time my head hits the pillow, I feel more fulfilled, happy and loved than I have in years. I no longer have that nagging knot in my tummy every evening dreading the following day of pushing more emails around an inbox.
Don't get me wrong, my husband and I are not massively well-off, we don't have any external financial help and we don't have any hidden trust funds soon to mature. We are hard-working adults in our mid-thirties. Our family values are strong and it's been amazing to see how having a baby has bought us even closer and changed our focus from earning the big bucks, to really valuing the amazing family time we have every day. If I can pass on one learning to Martha, it would be to really listen to what you want to do and through hard work, some patience and just a little bit of ambition, you can live very happily doing what you want to do.
