My friend Renee just released her first e-book, about nurturing your own creativity during the mothering years. I was so honored when she asked me to contribute a little bit about how I balance time for my own creativity with my commitment to being a stay-at-home-homeschooling mom.

Isn’t that cover beautiful?? It was painted by Erika.

This led me to do some serious thinking and writing about how I have worked in my creativity over the last 13 years of being home with my kids, homeschooling for the last half of those years.

I have a blog post in the works from all of my journaling, but for starters, I had a great model in my own mother. She had been sewing, and doing music in her youth, and later on took up quilting and painting, while raising me and my three siblings (and running a restaurant with my father!). So I just expected to pursue creativity in my own busy motherhood years. (Thanks, Mom!)

I haven’t tried any new visual arts, like painting, as my mother did. But I have taught myself new instruments (the penny whistle, and the Celtic harp), took up songwriting in earnest (and recorded a couple CD’s sold here to aid our adoption right now!), and learned some hand-crafts like crocheting, sewing and quilting (a continuation of what my mom taught me while growing up). Now I am baby-stepping my way into photography, my first visual art!

Renee’s new e-book (also available for the kindle!) is a wonderful encouragement if you are trying to make time for creativity, or are still trying to figure out your own means creative expression, during the busiest motherhood years. I always love to read other women’s journey-stories; I find things I relate to, things that inspire, and things that make me think. And at only $3, Renee’s book is an affordable treat to give yourself!

(Renee has generously offered to give a copy of her book away to someone who reads my blog! If you leave a comment below, I will use a random number generator to choose a winner, on Monday March 24th.)