Kelly Rowland and Jessica McKay: “Make Time For Your Creative Passions”
If there’s a book you want to read, write it
Wake Up and Write is an advice column from Moms Don’t Have Time to Write. Today, we have Kelly Rowland and Jessica McKay— the Grammy Award-winning member of Destiny’s Child and educator who co-wrote the new picture book Always with You, Always with Me— who shared writing advice on the podcast Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books, hosted by Zibby Owens.
Kelly: Toni Morrison said if there’s a book that you want to read, write it. I feel like everything changes. The world is continuously changing. I think that for kids to be able to see just everyday scenarios of life and storytelling is really important. It’s necessary. It allows them to be well-rounded in all things that have to do with their space and their world and how it’s evolving and changing.
We’re in a place now where we can see a Black mother that’s an architect in a book. I never saw books with kids that looked like me in them. That’s a really big win. We have to continue to do that for other races, for other sexes, period. I just feel like it’s important. It’s important, for sure.
Jessica: I would just say to make time for it. We’re born with creativity. Whatever that is, whether it’s through arts or writing, music, or sharing our stories, there’s something creative in us. As we grow up, sometimes the world can start to pull that away from us, so even if it’s two minutes, five minutes a day. My kids are very close in age. I have three of them. I know you have four. We’re all busy. Kelly’s got her two kids and a huge career. Just make time. Find that.
My friend and another author, Eve Rodsky, calls it unicorn space. Really take that time because other demands pull us in so many directions. If you just do a little here and a little there and every day, add to it, I think that’s what, really, life is all about. You never know. It can turn into something. Don’t let the world tell you, ‘Oh, you’re too busy. You have too many kids. You have too much going on.’ You can still do it.
