14 Aug Mothers Working In Creative Careers

What inspires Australia’s accomplished creative mothers? These women have fire in their bellies and their eyes on the prize.

“I love the creative process from start to finish. There’s nothing more satisfying than being excited to share something new that I am proud of, but I think you need to be prepared to work really hard, sleep way less, be brave and take risks. You have to put yourself out there and self-promote, as awkward as it can sometimes feel. In your work, do what comes naturally to you, and don’t try to be everything for everyone. Eventually your work will speak for itself and if people like what they see, the opportunities and successes will arise from that.” Laura Blythman, artist and designer

“Seeing other strong, creative, independent women cutting their own paths and building amazing careers on their own terms inspires me. While I’ve learnt I can’t have everything all at once, I want to pass on to my children that the key to creativity, and success more broadly, is hard work, resilience and courage. Get out there, do it, make mistakes, learn from them and improve. Creativity doesn’t just happen – you have to harvest it. I’m still learning to do this every day. When I’m feeling a bit flat about my work and uninspired about my photography, I stop relentlessly comparing myself to others. Usually it’s when I pull back that I find inspiration in other works of art, like sculpture, painting and nonfiction books, which then revs me up to do more personal projects.” Christine Pobke, photographer

“What drives me is to always be a better version of myself than the day before, or than my last performance. At The Australian Ballet, many of our ballerinas have babies and return to the stage, so I’ve had so much support, guidance and help along the way. I always travel with my husband, and my mum also tours with us for our shorter seasons to help look after our daughter, Willow. I’ve always had a fire in my belly, even through some of the tougher times. If you have a strong passion for something, never let anyone take that away. Use positive and negative experiences to light that fire inside of you.” Amy Harris, ballerina, The Australian Ballet

“My kids are such good company! We try to have lots of experiences – travel, learning new things or just simple activities like riding our bikes to school. Opportunities like these make us all happy together, and that’s super inspiring for us as a family. I’ve learnt a lot about self-motivation and dedication working for myself, and I hope some of that can rub off on them. You also need to have passion for what you do – it doesn’t matter what that is, if you love it then you will stay motivated and happy, which will help everything. If the ideas are not flowing, a change of scenery can work wonders – going for a ride or a walk can take your mind to a different place, and then when I return to the project I might see it in a different light.” Beci Orpin, artist, designer, author

“I seem to have one of those creative, wild minds that can find inspiration and humour in the simplest of places. With blogging, being brave and putting stories out there can be really rewarding. It’s such an exciting platform to work with and I’m in charge of making that exciting stuff happen. I hope I’m teaching my kids that anything is possible, and we shouldn’t be limited by anyone else’s expectations set for us. I think every mama needs her own support network. I have mine. I find support in my family and friends, and I think sharing experiences, laughing about them and moving forward is the way to keep motivated.” Chantelle Ellem, blogger at Fat Mum Slim

“I’m inspired by children playing, tiny garden frogs, tap dancing, the way our dog’s eyebrows express her thoughts and films by Studio Ghibli. I’ve learnt that believing in yourself is a golden rule. With self-belief and perseverance a dream can become a reality. I hope to pass on to my children to be brave in expressing themselves, to use their voice and know that although it’s not the same as everyone else’s, difference is to be celebrated.” Anna Walker, author and illustrator

Words by Jenna Templeton / Photography by Natalie Verheggen, Dan O’Day + Tori Simpson