Welcome back to our What Creativity Looks Like series. Every week this summer, I’ll be introducing you to some amazingly creative women. My hope is as you read these interviews and virtually meet these ladies, you’ll be inspired to create more in your own life.
Let’s get started!
What’s your name (and business name, if you have one)?
Paige Meredith Art + the Hear Motherhood podcast
Tell us about YOU. How is your creativity expressed?
My creativity is expressed by finding small moments of beautiful in everyday life. Sometimes this is capturing my son’s smile on camera, sometimes it’s taking the beauty of nature I’ve observed from our walk and splashing it down in watercolor.
How did you get started in your creative practice? (“Practice” is just a fancy word for all the fun creative things you do. :))
I’ve been creating since I was a child who spent summers in my grandmother’s craft room. Since then I’ve had lots of starts and stops. I’m learning to push past the frustration that ultimately comes with every creative project. That’s where the fun starts.
What keeps you going?
My internal desire to never be bored. I crave the rush that comes from tackling a creative project.
What is your greatest joy?
This is going to sound totally workaholic-esque but I get my greatest joy from a job well done. Whether that’s a new podcast episode, a new series of paintings, or the fact that my son is learning to say, “Please.” I like putting in the effort and seeing it pay off.
What’s a “typical” day (or week) like for you? In other words, how do you incorporate creative projects into your life?
I’m currently working on creating a routine so I have some kind of semblance of “typical”. Generally, most of my creative work gets done during nap times or after my son goes to bed. During the first year of my son’s life the extra hours I put into the podcast melded into his weird sleep patterns so much that I often didn’t know where one started and the other ended. Now that he’s sleeping more regularly, I’m trying to focus on creating while staying healthy, i.e. not pushing myself too hard.
What would you say to someone who wants to be creative but can’t find the time?
Being creative doesn’t mean having a whole afternoon free. Would it be awesome? Yes. But is it possible? Not generally. I find I often do that best stuff when I’m on a tight deadline “He’s going to wake up in the next 30 minutes- I have to paint fast!” Don’t be afraid of quick creativity.
What do YOU think creativity looks like?
I think creativity looks like work. My goal for the second half of this year is to be more disciplined and take my own advice about always getting some creative work in every day.
I met Paige last year at The Hello Sessions and have loved following along on her journey (mostly from Instagram :)) this year. She hosts a podcast that asks the question, “Can creativity and motherhood coexist?” (You know my answer to that one. :)) And as you can see from her beautiful pictures above, she’s been venturing into the world of painting. Thanks so much for sharing with us, Paige!