Writing Motherhood
An Invitation to Mothers
Hey mama,
I see you.
Holding the child you tried so long to conceive.
Weeping over the body of the one who arrived stillborn.
Rocking the baby who won’t sleep through the night.
Challenged by an unruly child the world does not understand.
Stretched, tired and resentful of your husband.
Single-parenting while trying to make it all work.
Afraid for your child’s future.
Full of love and hope.
Desperate and aching as you watch your child suffer.
Sick and tired as your children watch you suffer.
Rewiring intergenerational patterns.
Giving your kids opportunities you never had.
Working through complex dynamics with your grown children.
Feeling the tender, bruised, supple nature of your human heart.
I see you.
The experience of motherhood is vast, incomparable and unique to each woman. No two mothers are alike. And yet, there is a shared kinship between mothers that belies the need for words. Motherhood is universal, and as different as our individual experiences may be, we share a baseline of understanding.
I have been mothering my children for nine years now. Motherhood is a deeply integrated part of my life. It touches everything.
It occurred to me recently that I am exactly where I want to be.
Before I became a mother, I was a traveler and a nomad. I always lived alone. I liked it best that way. When I became a mother, it was a rough ride because I felt like my independence had been robbed. I could no longer eat, sleep, or be without a small creature attached to me. In those early years, I often wanted to be somewhere else, somewhere ‘free.’
But as I’ve matured into motherhood, I have gained a sense of rightful presence. My root system is deep and wide. I have claimed ownership of my life and choices. I love my messy house and boisterous children. The desire to sleep alone has left me entirely. I don’t crave escape now- I am balanced, rested and creatively expressed. Motherhood is rich and fulfilling.
An important part of my motherhood journey has been writing.
I wrote my way through postpartum depression.
I wrote my way through rocky periods in my marriage as we adjusted to parenthood.
I wrote my way through sleep training, the ‘threenager’ phase, and transitioning to preschool, kindergarten and beyond.
Writing helps me envision and embody healthy boundaries.
Writing supports me in moving from problem-awareness to solution-mentality.
When motherhood feels tight or overwhelming, I write. Putting words to the page allows me to parse through the noise in my mind and find the most life-giving thread to follow.
Recently, I began writing about my motherhood journey here on Substack. I was telling a close friend about this new collection and she said, ‘Why don’t you teach a writing course on motherhood?’
Her words landed on my ears and a detonation of creative energy exploded in my body.
Yes! I thought. Of course I’ll teach a writing class on motherhood!
The outline of the course began to download immediately. I had 90% of it collected that night.
As of today, I am welcoming women into the course.
‘Writing Motherhood’ is for every mother, whether you have one child or many, infants or grown adults. The universality of the motherhood experience will be the fertile ground from which we write.
⭐️ Register here ⭐️
I treat writing as a practice and an art. It is a multi-faceted tool that allows us to meet ourselves as we are, dissolve blocks and open to expansion.
It also allows us to create indelible works of art that live on as a testament to our life journey.
In ‘Writing Motherhood,’ we will work with writing both ways- as an intentional practice for creating greater harmony in our mothering, and also as a form of self-expression.
You do not need to be a ‘writer’ to participate. You just need to be willing to put pen to paper. And while you will have ample opportunities to share your work, you also have the option of keeping it close to your heart. You will guide the pace and direction of your journey.
⭐️ Register here ⭐️
During our time together, we will work with themes that illuminate the arc of motherhood. We will explore conception, pregnancy, birth, child-rearing, intergenerational patterns, legacy, and the spiritual nature of mothering. Through our writing practice, we will sow the seeds of healing both forward and backward in time.
Each class, you will receive writing prompts intended to expand your inner landscape of possibility. Through writing, we are able to lay down new neural pathways, and create with deliberate focus. These techniques will be applied to the domain of your motherhood.
You will also have the opportunity to create art- pieces of writing you will treasure forever. Some of these pieces will be for your children. Some will be for yourself. Others will stand alone as beautiful expressions of your unique creativity.
My hope is that you will come away in an expanded inner state, and with a tangible collection of heart-sourced writing.
Finally, we will gather for an intimate reading once our five weeks have concluded. This will be an opportunity for each woman to share several of her favorite selections with the group. If you choose to participate, you will experience a beautiful personal expansion. Allowing yourself to be seen and celebrated in this way is healing, affirming and empowering. This special ceremony will mark the culmination of our time together.
Our schedule is below. Every class is on Zoom, and will be recorded. If you miss a class, you will have access to the replay.
The cost of the course is $333.
Hope to see you on the inside.
Register here.
⭐️ Writing Motherhood ⭐️
April 7th- May 12th
Mondays and Wednesdays, 9:30-11 am, PST.
All classes on Zoom. Link provided upon registration.
Monday, April 7th
Wednesday, April 9th
Monday, April 14th
Wednesday, April 16th
Monday, April 21st
Wednesday, April 23rd
Monday, April 28th
Wednesday, April 30th
Monday, May 5th
Wednesday, May 7th
Monday, May 12th
Wednesday, May 14th
Celebratory Reading, TBA