When I started my second maternity leave, I expected the usual whirlwind: sleepless nights, endless nappy changes, the constant shuffle between being needed and needing five minutes to myself.
What I didn’t expect was that, somewhere between the feeds and the Kinder runs, I’d reconnect with a part of myself I hadn’t realised I’d left behind—my creative spark.
It’s funny how life has a way of gently nudging you toward the things you’re meant to do, even when you’re knee-deep in washing, nappies and cold coffee.
With my first child, I was in pure survival mode. Everything was new and overwhelming. But this time around, while still exhausting, there’s a certain rhythm to it—a messy, beautiful dance I’d become slightly more familiar with.
And in those rare quiet moments—while the baby napped on my chest or while I sat sketching with my older child at the kitchen table—I started to feel something stir. A gentle itch, a whisper: Create.
I’ve always had a creative side. Drawing, storytelling, doodling characters in the margins of notebooks—it’s always been there, lingering in the background like a childhood friend you haven't seen in years but instantly click with when you meet again. For so long, I’d pushed it aside. Career. Motherhood. Life. But now, with my world a little slower and my heart a little fuller, I realized something had been missing: the joy of making something just for me.
That’s when the idea of a children’s book took root, and I joined up with Little Ivory Haus.
Creating a children’s book during maternity leave might sound crazy to some, but for me, it’s been grounding. A way to rediscover myself beyond the identity of "mum." A reminder that creativity isn’t just a hobby—it’s a part of who I am.
I don’t know exactly where this journey will lead. Maybe it’s one book. Maybe it’s more. Maybe it’s just something I share with my kids, or maybe it finds a place on other families’ bookshelves. Either way, I’m glad I listened to that little whisper.
Because sometimes, the most unexpected chapters begin in the quiet moments between bottle feeds and bedtime stories.
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