The Unexpected Ways Becoming a Mom Has Made Me More Creative

Somedays, I miss the days when I had unlimited time. But then, I remind myself that creativity didn’t leave me; it just changed shape.

Before having Noka, I would get so annoyed when women would say to me some variation of “You think you don’t have time now; wait until you have kids.” I felt like they were minimizing my frustrations with not having enough time in the day to pursue my creative passions like writing (for myself) and visual art because I had to focus on what brought me money (writing for publications and running my social media agency).

I get it now.

Honestly, I can’t believe how much free time I had before having a baby. As they say, hindsight is 20/20, and now I see all the ways I could have been optimizing my time a bit better. Fortunately, this post isn’t about that—it’s about how I’ve become more creative since having a baby.

Noka when he was only 2 weeks old!

Rituals are important to me. I believe that every creative has some sort of ritual guided by the senses—whether it’s through sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch. (My rituals mainly consist of sight, smell, and taste.) While I still rely on rituals like taking in art exhibitions, sitting with coffee, and smelling the intoxicating aromas of baked goods at my favorite cafe, rituals thrive in the in-between moments for me now—mostly when Noka is taking a nap or Lebo takes him on a walk outside.

Motherhood has made me sharper and more resourceful—it has taught me that creativity is a survival tool.

I Work Faster (Because I Have To)

I’m currently writing this newsletter while Noka is in the other room with his dad. Soon, he will start crying, and I will have to go comfort him, but until then, I will write. I’m no longer spending unnecessary time agonizing over the perfect sentence or going back and forth on whether I should post photos or not. I write in bursts and shoot content in an allotted time block that I have set for myself. I’ve become more confident in making decisions because I have to. And somehow, my work feels better—more instinctual and less overthought.

Links to Citizens of Humanity Shirt and Sézane bangles

I See Beauty in the Ordinary

I’ve always been someone who can see beauty in almost anything, but my senses have been heightened. When Noka was about 5 months old, I had a campaign to shoot. I was wearing a button-up shirt I had just finished ironing and, while holding Noka, realized that he had spit up on my freshly ironed shirt. I could have gotten upset and changed my shirt, but I saw the beauty in it. I ended up taking photos of that moment, and it turned out to be a beautiful memory.

I loved this campaign that I shot for Sakara

I Create with More Meaning

Everything I create is with intention. I’ve never been a huge fan of following trends, especially social media trends. It’s been hard to keep my head down and not get distracted by what others are doing, but I’ve managed to do so. I don’t have time for fluff anymore. I am slower at creating, but when I do share something with the world, it is about what matters most to me. I create because I want to remember. I want to document my life for myself and others.

I Trust Myself More

Do you know how scared Lebo and I were when the hospital discharged us on Noka’s 2nd full day of life and said we were free to go home!? They did not provide a manual or step-by-step guide. We had to figure it out. Ten months later, Noka is thriving and happy. If I can be a mom, then I can continue in my creative practice. There’s no right or wrong way to do it—just the way that works for you.

Somedays, I miss the days when I had unlimited time. When I could just leave the house and wander to a cafe or gallery to get inspiration without a human depending on me. But then, I remind myself that creativity didn’t leave me; it just changed shape.