A Day In The Life: Balancing my Art Business Alongside Motherhood

Hi friends,

I wanted to share a little about what my days look like in this new chapter of life. Not every day looks the same, but I try to make sure I spend my time on the things that matter to me: looking after my baby, my art business, movement, self-care, time with my partner, and tending to our home through chores and cooking.

I want to take you along on a typical day in the life in the hope that it might inspire you if you are going through a season that requires a little more flexibility and patience. I used to run my days on a schedule and time block my tasks for the day, but nowadays I find myself fitting things in around the margins of "wake windows" and "nap windows". Each window is different and unpredictable, but knowing that encourages me to be incredibly intentional with my time. It has really pushed me to cut out the noise and things that aren't worth my time, like scrolling on my phone and procrastinating.

Some days I have to rest and sacrifice time on the business or chores and prioritise getting more sleep, especially when nights are rough with lots of broken sleep. Some days my baby has shorter naps or skips a nap altogether, so I only manage to get the bare minimum done. Something I've really learnt is that pushing things back a little doesn't mean you're behind, even though we are often led to believe so.

Here's a peek into my days:

Sleep Window 1

This is the sleep window before my baby wakes up for the day, which can start anywhere between 5–7am depending on how the night went. I will generally get up and go straight into the studio and start working without getting ready for the day. It's the quietest and most undisturbed time of the day, so I like to get into it as soon as I can. My partner is also asleep at this time, so it is extra quiet and perfect for painting or tasks that require more focus. I can usually find anywhere from half an hour to two hours, if I'm lucky, to work on my art business.

Wake Window 1

This is when my baby gets up for the day. I spend most of the time with him but squeeze in a few things for myself. This wake window can start anywhere between 6:30am–9:00am. In this window, I'll generally make my cup of coffee (decaf!) and try to get in a 10–15 minute face massage while he plays in his little play gym.

Sleep Window 2

Once my baby is down for a nap, I go straight into the shower and get ready for the day. I like to dress up as if I'm going into an office or studio and love to put just a little bit of makeup on. I find taking the time to freshen up and get ready increases my mood and productivity for the rest of the day. This will usually take about 30–40 minutes, just in time for my baby to wake up from his nap. If this nap is a little longer, then I'll continue working on the art business until he wakes up.

Wake Window 2

During this wake window, I'll grab a bite to eat and work on a pelvic floor and stretching routine that takes about 6–7 minutes while my baby is in his play gym. The rest of the window I spend with him reading, singing and going for walks along the beach. I'll also get into my workout clothes in preparation for the next sleep window.

Sleep Window 3

This wake window is for movement and I either go for a 5–7km run or do a weights workout. If my partner is home, then I'll go for a run while he watches my baby. I only run a maximum of 1km from home, so I'm no more than 6 minutes away at any given time. My partner will call me when my baby's awake and I'll start making my way home so I can feed him. This window is anywhere between 25 minutes and 50 minutes. When I'm doing a weights workout, there are 90-second rest periods in between sets, so during that time I'll sort the laundry or fold laundry. By multitasking, I get both a workout and some home organisation in.

Wake Window 3

Similar to the other wake windows, I'll spend time with my baby. This is also the last window where I'll take him out for a little walk as it is still daylight. When we get home, I'll let him play in the play gym while I make myself a protein shake and dinner, and I'll eat while watching him. I'll give him a bath every 2–3 days, so this is often the window I'll give him a bath in.

Sleep Window 4

This is usually the last sleep window of the day and I spend it either doing chores or meal prepping. If there are meals ready and the next batch of meals are planned, then I'll spend this window working on chores. I rotate chores so every day I know what I'm cleaning, and the house is usually always tidy because it is cleaned most days on rotation, as opposed to leaving all the cleaning for a dedicated day. I also spend some time doing a quick tidy: putting things in the dishwasher, taking out the trash, wiping down benches and doing a quick organisation around the house.

Wake Window 4

This is the last wake window of the day and I'll try to squeeze in a 5–10 minute shower while I have my baby in the play gym in the bathroom with me. This way, when he sleeps for the day, I can also sleep shortly after to make the most of the next stretch. As I am writing this, my baby is going through some sort of sleep regression and only sleeps in 1–2 hour stretches. If he's down for a 2-hour stretch, I'm going to try and catch that! Once my baby goes to sleep, I wind down, write my to-do list for tomorrow, sometimes do a short 5-minute reflection, brush my teeth and just go straight to bed.

And that's a Day in the Life right now in this chapter of motherhood. Days are always so different, and sometimes you think you've gotten into a routine or rhythm and your baby has become more predictable, only for it to change suddenly. It's an opportunity to be flexible and to really design the days around the most important things. After all, this is only a season, and things will always be changing.