Mother Artist
The importance of both titles as a woman in the modern age (and for the women who held this title throughout history)
When I First became a mom I didn’t want to hold the name mother _____ (Fill in the blank). You don’t ever hear men adding the label of father or man to any of their titles–Like girl boss and now mother artist. It feels like an adjective that doesn’t need to be added, or it shouldn’t need to be added. But since we live in a world of inequality I see the value of the name “mother artist.” It’s important for other women, and more specifically mothers, to know that they can do this too. They are not alone. They can witness success, they can see someone else’s path and then have the guts to try it themselves.
For the last few weeks I’ve been diving deep into the history of women in art. Reading through the book “The Story of Art Without Men” (A title based on the popular book “The Story of Art” but that didn’t include a single female artist until it’s 16th edition!) I’m coming to know some extraordinary women who faced cultures that made it nearly impossible to succeed and yet, somehow, they did. These women found ways to work around the limitations that were placed on them. They had kids, raised families, and still made a name for themselves in the history books. Some quit before they found true success while others (many in fact) went on to create works of art that are still in museums today, art that influenced some of the biggest male artists throughout history.
I’ve fallen in love with the book Mother Artist as my own roadmap to this world. Part memoir and part journalist of modern women in art who are also mothers (with an emphasis on black mothers because they have even less space in the history books), this book has helped me to feel seen. I honestly think it’s a book for all mothers, not just the ones who identify themselves as artists. As mother’s we’re all creatives, we literally created life, and the stories of these women and how they handled the transition into motherhood is astounding and healing. And the art they make to showcase all the different phases of this transition are so important for everyone, not just mothers.
Now, as a mother, I find it even more important to hear the stories of other mother artists and to learn how they did it. How they balanced having a family and a career in the arts. What I’m coming to learn is that throughout history, and still today, the reality is that you need a male benefactor to support you. In history this could have been a father, a husband, or God (if you became a nun, which a good friend and I believe I was in a past life). I see the truth of this still today. Without having an extremely supportive husband I wouldn’t be able to pursue my art while also having a baby. Children take a lot from you and you need energy to get creative. You need to time to be creative. And you need breathing room to show your art to the world. He not only encourages me to go take classes and to get out of the house but he also helps with the extra tasks around the house so that I have the time, space, and energy to pursue my art. In history, it had to a be a male benefactor, but today you just need anyone, a community to help you make your art. They say it takes a village to raise a child, but it also takes a village to create an artistic career, especially when you have little ones at home.
While time, energy, space, and resources are limited now that I have a baby at home, I can’t dream of doing anything but making art. And honestly, becoming a mom has changed the way I see the world and has brought in so much new inspiration. By having so many limitations it’s created really interesting limitations with my artwork taking it to new levels. A limited color palette feels life it doesn’t offer you enough options, but it actually creates a cohesive painting, less mess, and costs less to produce the painting. The same is true with limited time frame, you don’t get so stuck on the details, I’m learning to move faster and organically, to not have to shape every detail but let you mind fill in the blanks, kind of like the impressionists do.
Yes, being a mother artist has it’s challenges. There are some days where there isn’t enough energy left to create. There are other days where I’m in the zone and he wakes up from his nap way too early. But the combination of colors on a page and his smile after a good rest is all the magic I could look for in a day.
While you won’t hear the term father artist, I’m okay with being called a mother artist. I think both titles are important. And while I hope that someday it won’t matter to make the distinction for women, that they can just be artist, I see the importance of this title today. I want to be the example for other women that it’s possible to do it both, with a good community/support system (everything in life comes back to that), you can be a mother and an artist and anything else you want to add to that.