Before I had my child, I had little time for creativity. I know that sounds weird to say that I had less time before I had a child but I allowed myself to be driven in so many different areas that I didn’t take the time to be creative. Driven at work. Driven to stay in shape. Driven to be better at other not-really-that-creative hobbies. Once I had my Precious Petunia, I felt I had to slow down in many ways. The things I did had to be able to be done with her, or at least with her there. Sewing was one of the things that I could do with her in the same room. So, sidewalk chalk drawing took the place of surfing. And sewing took the place of reading and drinking a glass of wine after dinner. But what I realized the other day is that creativity has taken over my life. I have found that whether we’re stringing beads or building sand castles, I have the overwhelming need to create. While I am not an artist (stick figures at best, people), I am creative (or “crafty” as The Daddy says). And I need creativity in my life. We “embellish” our simple sand castles with whatever we can find on the beach and draw our “happy places” in chalk. We make bead and marble “displays” and build “houses” for her toy horses with blocks. I even created a “Casa De la Tires” from an old Amazon box when she was big into the movie Cars. I see pattern and color and want to manipulate it in just about every activity we do. The need to be creative is there and I have to indulge it. It doesn’t even have to result in a product or something to show for the creativity. It just needs to be allowed to be expressed. A creative Momma is a Happy Momma. And what I’ve realized is that because I am a mother I have allowed myself to be more of who I really am and less of what the world expects me to be. I have found strengths and desires that I never knew I had because I was on a different path. I like this path better.