Time to blog again....

After a prolonged break I have decided that it time to blog again.  I want to extend the ideas and opinions fizzing away in my head to share with people again. I don't consider myself a “creative” or an arty person, so why should I write?

I have undergone a profound shift in my outlook since my son Alex was born last December.  It has made me question and re-evaluate my creativity and why it matters.

Having a baby might not seem such an unexpected turn of events for a woman in her mid thirties.The unexpected part for me was the essential shift inside.

Motherhood has thrust me into a new world- shops I would never have gone to before, articles I never would have read before, and groups I would never have considered joining. My thoughts, feelings and opinions have gained a new prominence because I now have my baby's experience of life to take into consideration. Am I showing him the right things? Modeling the right behaviour? Spending our time together wisely?

As children we are taken on outing and trips (if we are fortunate) to museums, galleries, libraries and historic sites. We might question why but on the whole accept that these things are things we need to see and experience for our growth and education. Such things give us memories and knowledge to feed our current ideas, opinions and aspirations for the future.

Adults get to opt out- just as we get the freedom to eat ice cream for breakfast and not sensibly feed our bodies, we also are no longer required by others to feed our minds sensibly. Adults without children tend to go on far fewer outings, in my experience. We take for granted the knowledge and memories that going on such visits give us, in addition to the daily grind of our responsibilities with work and domestic chores taking up so much valuable time.

I remember clearly how it felt to hold my son for the first time, and to learn to feed him in his first few days. I have a responsibility now to feed myself, not only for me but for him too. My actions are a model for him, and my language and tone have a direct bearing on his experience of life. Never before have I felt that what I said and did had such an impact.

I want to be able to show him beautiful and interesting things, the unexpected, a view through someone else’s eyes. It will educate and be good for him- and I suspect for me too. My love for him wants the best I can find to see and do. This means finding out about events, about what people have created, and the topics that inspire them. I will form my opinions, gain new knowledge and make memories with my family because these things now matter.

I am not arty, but look here.... I wrote this blog post, I created something.

I will in the coming days share with you the reason I was spurred into action to write again.  It feels exciting to me and I hope you will indulge me by looking out for my next posts in good humor.