My Artist Residency in Motherhood is done. Six weeks – or 42 days – of writing one page a day, of staying calm and creative amidst the daily disruptions and busyness that are still part of my life as a mother, even though my four children are nearly all grown up. Over the last six weeks, I’ve written my pages at home and while staying at remote bush properties. I didn’t develop any sort of stable work routine, but I’ve ticked off each day with a real sense of achievement. This residency has helped me remember that I’m a writer, and no one can take that away from me, even if all I do is write one page a day. 

Well, I made it to the end of my 21-day Artist Residency in Motherhood – and I’ve decided to extend the residency for another 21 days. Yes! The process has been so good for me. Such a simple thing – write a page (or more) a day, mark that day on the Excel spreadsheet, and then let it all go until the next day. Three weeks ago, I had my usual rigid plan of waking up before dawn and knocking off the page first thing, but by the end I was fitting in the page whenever I could … and that was absolutely fine. The pre-dawn routine has its place, especially when deadlines or due or when I’m deeply moored in a writing project … I’ve done that a lot in my life with good results. But for now, this relaxed approach feels good for my creative soul and I’m sticking with it. 

Week Two of my Artist Residency in Motherhood (ARIM) is over, and it went along quite differently to the first week. The early morning routine that I enthused about in my last post was abandoned while I spent five days in the bush with my lover – staying in a mud-brick bunkhouse with no electricity or phone reception, cooking over a campfire, and marvelling at the sight of fireflies each evening. Such magical creatures! The bush camp where I stayed was in a mountainous area of wet sclerophyll forest – full of birdlife and wallabies and the occasional tick or leech. Each morning, my lover and I had breakfast down by the dam at the property, where we watched a friendly Willie Wagtail couple take turns protecting eggs in their cup-like nest on a low branch that hung over the dam. In-between parenting duties, the Willie Wagtails performed all sorts of antics and were very funny. In terms of the work/life balance, the scales definitely weighed heavier on the ‘life’ side – but I rested and relaxed and slept well and still managed to get my page done every day, usually by mid-afternoon. When my laptop ran out of battery, I wrote my page longhand. This second week of my ARIM residency has shown me that I can have a wonderfully indulgent week in the bush and still make progress on my writing. One more week to go and I’m feeling good. 

I completed the first week of my Artist Residency in Motherhood (ARIM) earlier this morning – a residency where I’m taking the pressure off my creative practice by writing just one page a day, at home. I finish the page first thing each morning (well, after I drink my coffee and write my journal). With this new ARIM routine, I’m achieving something every day, which makes me happy – and I feel like that by seven o’clock in the morning. Some days I’ve written more than one page, but most days it’s been just the one. I haven’t had time to develop the new writing yet, but I’ve got the makings of a stand-alone excerpt from my memoir, and another one on the way – which is more progress than I’ve made in months. I’ve also noticed that I’ve already morphed into a healthier work/life balance … although I have to admit, I’m looking forward to a proper sleep-in soon. Two more weeks to go!