VOL 06 : Sundays are for Mothers
Self Employed, Paint maker, illustrator and mama of two.
Hello friends, I’d love to welcome you to
Volume 06
of the
Sundays are for Mothers written interview series.
Happy Sunday friends!
Welcome to the FINAL Sundays are for Mothers interviews of 2023. This is our 6th one and honestly, these interviews have been so well received by you. I know many of you don’t always engage publicly, and read as “flies on the wall” (Let’s picture observant fairies rather than flies… and hopefully snuggled on the couch with tea and a moment of peace, thank you for being here). I can see the stats on my back end though and know that you are opening and enjoying this series so THANK YOU, and, as always, I invite you to come play in the comments if you read something that sparks curiosity within you.
I’ll take a small break over the pointy end of the year and kick the interview series off again early to mid January!
Today I’d love to introduce you to a woman, who’s products have felt like the upmost luxury in my hands (and honestly make an amazing xmas gift). She is a mother who was once an illustrator, who morphed into mixing and making the most luxurious, handmade, high quality and sustainable watercolour sets. She became self employed, crafting a business that helps support both her family and creativity, including the creativity of others.
So read on if you’re curious about the realities of a hands on (can’t be that automated) business and raising two little ones.
As a mother, and as a woman devoted to not only my creative process, but also exploring different avenues for my creativity, intuition, business ideas over the years - some privately, some publicly, some for arts sake, some as income streams… I’ve learned that the road can feel lonely.
Not always lonely as in physically alone - though of course that can happen too… (sort of? With kids buzzing in and out)… But alone in the sense of feeling like it’s a mystery how any other mother does it. I’ve felt, many times, that I so badly just wanted just a peak behind the curtains of other creatives, who were somehow moving between children, a creative project/ their business/ clients, the home, to their lover, into their community…
I’d ask myself questions like “How do they balance it? Does that exist? Is it just a highlight reel and it’s actually chaos like my BTS? Do the dishes get done, or is she on the laptop next to a pile of clothes needing to be folded…. “
All the way to “I wonder how she decides to price things, Does she get Ideas seducing her in the middle of the night too? What’s her process, how does it all work?”
When I published An Open Letter To Mother Creatives
It became clear that what I had known to be true, and assumed true for others…. was in fact very relatable and we are all dancing and weaving in our own ways through the journey of our motherhood and nourishing the heart with whatever our creativity is channeled into.
For those new here, Sundays are for Mothers is a bi-weekly interview series I’m publishing here on Substack exclusive to my paying community of mother makers.
The series is designed to demystify the mystery of the Mother Maker. To have a peak behind the curtains and feel both the magic and the monotonous moments of this journey as creatives and entrepreneurs. To be able to explore things like the realities of home life, relationship, raising creative children, making space for ourselves, the struggles, insecurities and celebrations that come with this walk. Intrinsically, this series is FOR YOU, the Mother Maker, to have you feel more connected to others, to dissolve guilt or shame, to spark inspiration, to normalise so much of this world as a creative, and make space for more ease within our own experiences.
I urge you to connect with the women interviewed, please come and enjoy the conversation in the comments, don’t be a stranger. Let’s create a little hub (or big hub) of energy and understanding that I believe, we all crave.
So much love, thank you for being here
Love Kat
P.S This will likely appear too long for some browsers, If so - head to the app or website to read in full.
SUNDAYS ARE FOR MOTHERS VOL 06
Name: Marlena Taylor
Hey!
I would love to start by you sharing a bit about yourself, your family, your story and what you do.
Hello, thank you so much for inviting me into this special series, I’m so happy to be here! I’m Marlena, a multidisciplinary creative and mother from the northern rivers region of NSW. I have two kids, Kingsley (2.5) and Hendrix (4mo), a wonderful partner, Bruce, and a mini sausage dog called Penny. For the past two years I have been handcrafting sustainable, fine watercolour paints and artists ceramics. I also dabble in photography and content creation and I’m really enjoying that new creative aspect to my online space.
What are some key moments in your creative journey so far? (both failures and triumphs)
Having Kingsley was my biggest moment. I had been watercolour illustrating as a side hustle for 3 years (along side working in a supermarket), after finishing my uni degree in psychological science and deciding I didn’t actually want to use it. I loved painting, and worked on a few wonderful collaborations and commissions but it wasn’t financially supportive or growing enough for it to be viable in that way.
So when Kingsley was born I lent into my intuition and was honest with myself on that front. I was open to a big change that would allow me to stay home with him indefinitely and model to him a life led by passion and creativity. I wouldn’t really call illustrating a “failure” but it was definitely a key moment and something that absolutely needed to happen for me to have such a clear vision for Ruco (Ruco Paints).
There have been a few pinch me moments in the last two years — being stocked in my favourite local art shop was a super happy moment. Being able to allow my husband 6 months off work while we welcomed Henne into our family was another. I’m also really grateful for the endless lessons I learn along the way. The true value of my time and how much I’m not into trading that for money. I love the online space as an alternative to that. It’s still really hard work but on your own terms and for your own dreams not someone else’s. Learning is always a happy moment for me, even those obscure private lessons that are mostly for me.
Hi friends, If you are a paying reader, you can scroll down and continue reading below. For those who have received this post but not a paid subscriber, I invite you to upgrade (Via desktop/safari not through the app) in order to read this Sundays are for Mothers interview and the other 5 volumes so far. Along with access to all my paid reader articles, full archive, and for perks when live workshops become available 2024 x
Kat