Staying Creative During Maternity Leave
So I want to keep doing something creative while out on maternity leave…
I love what I do. I’m a user experience designer and strategist. I thrive in facilitating design jams and ideation sessions. I lose track of time when in my creative groove, creating interactive design prototypes. I believe user centered design is a way of running a business, not just a step along the way.
I’m also a new mother, and raising a child is the most important project I will ever work on.
Before I started maternity leave, I knew didn’t want to get rusty on my design skills. (I get roughly 4 months of leave at my company — better than most Americans, but still short compared to other countries.) I had an idea of starting a blog around drawing stick figures for UX storyboards. It would be a way to teach anyone that they too can draw storyboards, while giving myself regular practice. I also thought I could write about what I have learned about ideation and share some of the tools from my toolbox.
I knew going into parenthood that I wouldn’t have as much time for myself anymore, but I thought I could still do it: carve out time everyday to do something creative, build content for my portfolio, and prove everyone wrong who hypothesized that I wouldn’t go back to work.
So where am I? My son is three months old, I go back to work next month, and the Stick Figures for UX blog is still just an idea.
Did I fail? Yes, and no. It all depends on what mindset with which I choose to reflect upon this time. What I didn’t realize is that there is so much for me to learn as a new parent. Often what was top of mind was figuring out what cloth diapers worked best for us, not writing up a blog post on why I love sticky dots for voting.
I contemplated starting a mommy blog just so I could work on my “write 300 words a day” habit. I did that for about three days, after which I no longer cared to think or write about cloth diapers. (Hint: If something is constantly on your mind, write it down to get it out of your system).
Last week I decided to change my habit goal. No longer was it “write 300 words a day” but “do something creative everyday.” I even cut myself some slack by allowing myself to count reading a design book as doing something creative.
The biggest thing I had to resolve for myself is that doing creative things for my son counts as being creative. Compiling a video with a photo a day of him growing up is being creative. Working on the layout for pages of a baby photo book is being creative. And occasionally, when I have time for it, working on a case study of how to make a better meal planning service is definitely being creative.
When working in a creative field, sometimes you discount your creativity that is not directly applicable to your portfolio. I realize that I fell into this mindset, and it made me feel like a failure. Thankfully, I have the power to change my mindset.
I’m looking forward to going back to work in a month, jumping into some new projects, and having long stretches of focused time to do what I love to do. But I’m still optimistic that I can practice my creative skills while at home with a baby, just not quite the way I thought I would before he was born.
I wrote the majority of this post with my laptop precariously balanced between the coffee table and my boppy nursing pillow.
