“Becca, you are 8 months pregnant and have a two year old, how productive do you expect yourself to be?” asked my realist husband in response to my idealist request to retreat to my son’s room (one of my Creative Habitats) for some refueling time to develop Creative Habitat this weekend. While I was a bit perturbed by his blatant assumption that my body “full with child” was not just as capable of having a mind “full with ideas” as my pre-preggo self, I simply thanked him for focusing on quality father-son time for a few hours so I could focus on my pregnant thoughts and thoughts of being pregnant.
Regarding my pregnant thoughts…well, as far as I’m concerned, my mind has always been “pregnant” with a new idea or concept. I was constantly participating in some make-believe game when I was younger and have continued the habit of playing make-believe in my adult years. Now, I try to focus on making myself believe life is not as serious as I often make it out to be while reminding myself each day holds an element of wonder and surprise. Each step in the development of Creative Habitat is the perpetuation of this playful mindset. When I am able to retreat to my Creative Habitat to blog, develop a new training tool, or connect with another creative mom, my heart is full! I then tap into this full heart to serve my family, friends, and clients with even greater tenacity.
As for my thoughts on being pregnant, well, let me just start by saying I am so excited to welcome this new baby into our family. He/she has been kicking even now as I type and reminding me of the miracle of life and what a blessing it is to be a woman bringing life into the world. That being said, I am not naïve to the fact my life will be changing greatly with the birth of another child who will rely solely on me for nourishment and care over the next few months. I must admit I have been on autopilot with all of my other life responsibilities and am finally starting to realize how soon this change is approaching thanks to my husband’s timely reminder.
Indeed, I am 8 months pregnant. Indeed, I am preparing to enter a new season of motherhood with two little ones including sleepless nights (yet endless cuddles). Indeed, I am excited to see my son bond with his sibling and hold them both in my arms knowing they are God’s ultimate creative gift to our family. Indeed, I am rejoicing over our upcoming arrival, yet, I must admit I am wondering how I am going to sustain the development of Creative Habitat while simply trying to sustain basic life needs for a newborn and active toddler. This is not to mention making a concerted effort to maintain enough energy for coherent conversation with my husband on what is likely to be very little sleep for both of us. The good news is, each time I start to wonder how I will manage it all, I am reminded God has gone before me and will give me what I need as He has every step of the way.
So in response to my husband’s comment and reality check earlier this evening, I do not expect extreme productivity from myself during this season, but I do expect extreme inspiration. While I am 8 months pregnant, I am also 31 years inspired. This means I have 31 years of make-believe experience to make myself believe anything is possible including continuing to carve out creative time and space to refuel and develop Creative Habitat (even after the baby arrives). I know from experience, this healthy balance will help me avoid burnout so I can continue serving those I love more fully.
I’m sure there will be days in the upcoming months where I will be exhausted beyond belief, but that’s why I am committed to maintaining the creative habits I have developed during my first two years of motherhood. I have learned the importance of retreating to my Creative Habitat to stay refueled even amidst the busiest of seasons including my husband’s intense medical residency years where I have felt like a single mother much of the time given his grueling schedule and long hours. As we prepare for his final few months of residency and upcoming cross-county move, I am amazed how God has carried us through the many life changes we have encountered over the course of his medical training years and know the upcoming changes will be equally covered in abundant grace! After all, anything is possible with a little imagination and a lot of prayer, both creative habits I intend on focusing on as I continue to grow as a mother of 2 and develop the Creative Habitat vision I have been blessed to share.
Stay tuned! There are many more Creative Habitat resources to come in 2017 for all my fellow busy moms who are seeking creative time and space to refuel in daily living. Looking forward to sharing all that I have been working on behind the scenes over the past couple months. In the meantime, check out the Creative Habitat Facebook Page for daily resources to help you develop refueling creative habits starting this week!
Wishing You Creative and Refueling Days Ahead!