Do you feel you've lost yourself to motherhood?

When I wrote LIFE CREATIVE: INSPIRATION FOR TODAY'S RENAISSANCE MOM, with my dear friend Kelli Stuart, we set out to encourage creative women who feel they've lost themselves in this busy season of motherhood - painters and poets, writers and sculptures, actors, home decorators, seamstress' and business owners, graphic designers, singers and bakers...

Sweet friends, I know how deeply discouraging it can be to find yourself in the dark ages of motherhood - having lost touch with all the things you used to enjoy doing - all the things you used to enjoy about yourself!

(photo credit: Ruth Simons)

When moms lose themselves to motherhood, they tend to lose their tempers too.

Like they have to fight to be heard. 

But I hear you.

When the dream come true of motherhood intersects all the other dreams in a woman's life, it's common to feel lost for a season. But you're not lost - and neither are your gifts.

God did a wonderful job when He created you in his delightfully creative image... and then gave you children. Though there is much sacrifice in this season, He is still the God who made you cleaver and creative, and cast those dreams into your heart.

Think of each talent as a seed lying dormant beneath the earth. When springtime comes again, and it will come, and the sun warms the soil of your life, tender shoots will appear once more.

A reawakening - A rebirth - A renaissance.

Until that time, it is our hope that you discover ways to fit pieces of your creative life into the everyday, ordinary moments of motherhood. The birthday parties you throw, the forts you make, the nursery you decorate, the bedtime stories you tell, the lullabies you sing, the camera you carry in the diaper bag, the family suppers that you prepare, the cakes you bake, the preserves you can… all of these are opportunities for you to create and express love one mothering moment at a time!

As you express your love in creative ways, you are expressing yourself creatively!

Embrace that, embrace them, embrace yourself, sweet mom.

As I said before, there is much sacrificial love in this season, but that doesn't mean you have to lose yourself entirely.

In Life Creative we tell the stories of 20 women who are using their gifts in various ways in their homes, their cue-de-sac communities, their local church, and even online in this digital age - confined yet unhindered.

Ask For Help

One piece of advice that I feel is most helpful, advice I return to each time I begin to lose myself again, is this:

Share your feelings and ask for help. Whether you seek your husband's help, your mother's help, or that of a friend, reach out and simply say, "Remember how I used to love doing this unique thing? Remember how I used to serve in the church with this gift of mine? Remember how I dreamed of doing this or that before kids?... Would you help me figure out ways to fit a little bit of that inspired dreaming back into my life again?"

We call these people our Lifeguards. Friends and family who stand watch on the shoreline of our lives as we dip our toes into creative waters once more. They cheer us on, but they also stand guard and call us back to shore if the tide threatens to pull us a bit to far from home.

As I mentioned, it's each to lose our temper when we feel we've lost ourself. But your husband didn't marry you to take yourself away. He married you be cause he loves you. He's on your team, whether you feel like it or not. Find a moment when you aren't exasperated and feeling like a victim. Plan a date and come to him with love, then ask him for his help.

Renaissance Mom

Ladies, you are so good at helping your little ones discover their creative design. You sign them up for classes and let them experiment with their fearfully and wonderfully made life. While you can't run off to do the same with the same carefree exuberance, you can continue to pursue your life in Christ in creative ways with the help of loved ones.

Today, make a plan, reach out, ask for help.

How did God make you and what did He make you for? For motherhood? Yes! But what else? What other seeds are lying dormant, eager for the Son to shine His Light upon in the days and years to come.

For a Renaissance, a reawakening, is coming.

For more encouragement, grab a copy of Life Creative: Inspiration for Today's Renaissance Mom

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