The Artistic Mother: A Practical Guide to Fitting Creativity into Your Life [Paperback]

I just finished reading Shona's book, The Artistic Mother. You have to get this book. I got so much out of it. I have five children and I homeschool; so finding time for my artistic pursuits, sewing and mixed media art, is very challenging, to say the least. But Shona has shown me how I can make that possible, starting with thinking about your vision, setting goals, breaking them down into steps, setting up a dedicated space for doing art. The 12-week art course is great. The instructions and photos are very clear and easy to understand. If you are a beginning artist, Shona points out that it is very important to follow step-by-step instructions of other artists at first; and then you'll be able to branch off on your own with your own ideas. And I love the short essays of the artist moms that are spread through the book.

This book is mothers who are or want to be artists. No matter what stage you are in, you will gain something from this book. If you are a busy mother who loves art but can never fit it in, this book is for you. It will show you how to find the time. It will show you how to plan and prioritize your time.

You can do this, even in the midst of raising your children, mounds of laundry, running errands and changing those diapers. Shona takes you by the hand and shows you how. She is very encouraging. And she knows by experience. She is no different than you. She is a homeschooling mom of five children, one being a new born.

I find that I am a better mom when I take a little time to invest in myself. I have more to give. It really helps to prevent burnout, even just doing a little something each day, even if only for 15 minutes.

The book is down broken into three major sections:

The first section has lots of photos and mixed media collages scattered throughout. Here Shona discusses things like the nature of creativity and some practical, common sense, ideas to becoming motivated to do art on those days when you are too tired or unmotivated by the intensity of motherhood.

The second section is a very brief how-to guide for taking decent photos, writing basic poems and doing collage.

The third section is a 12-week workshop and a day-by-day action plan to guide you through making 12 different projects. The first week is more of a prep week. The daily art challenges can be spread over days. The goal is to get you creating, daily, not just to get the projects done.

Spread throughout the book are short essays and art by momma artists. They will inspire you with their creative vision and lives.

If you are already an artistic mother creating daily while raising your children, then this book will be an affirmation of your lifestyle and an encouragement to keep on keeping on. But if you are someone who is not living that life and would like to be, then this book will teach you what you need to know to get there.

From casting a 'big picture' vision, all the way down to the 'nuts & bolts' of fitting creativity into the very busy life of a mother, Shona covers it all. Beautifully!

I love the 12 week project section. While I will enjoy doing the specific projects she has planned out, I am more excited that it has got my own creative juices flowing again.

The thing I'm most excited about with this book is that even though I haven't even started the projects yet, I've got a 'pep in my step' again. Through her moving poetry, gorgeous photos and beautiful projects, Shona elevates the journey of motherhood to a thing of exquisite beauty and shows that it can be done with excellence...right along, and because of art.

And a final thought...kudos to the designer Melissa Bowers. This book is really such a pleasure to look at!

This book asserts that motherhood and art go hand-in-hand and then proves, through lovely imagery, great instruction, and practical advice, that indeed they do. It is clear that the author has fully embraced both being a mom and being an artist. More importantly for the reader, she has shown that the collaboration of the two is a thing of great beauty. You will most certainly be inspired to follow her lead!

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