“Creativity has come in unlikely places, as there are gorgeous, unexpectedly mindful gaps that have allowed my imagination to kickstart again, like walking around with the buggy, night feeds, or the people I meet now that my social circle has widened from all the baby activities going on.”
Abigail Mann
Hello loves,
This week we have our seventh community GUEST post… as always we are so excited to share this with you. These posts are a joy to read and edit.
We are gently working through them and will post the responses in order of their arrival!
We’d love to invite you to write for us too. We are keen to encourage a diverse range of mothers and experiences here and have made it very easy for you to contribute. If you would like to write a guest post for us here at head here to answer just three simple questions.
If you’d like to write us a longer piece on the topic of being, balance and/ or business in motherhood, record audio or a video you can email us on companyoftwouk@gmail.com If you are interested appearing in future podcast episodes please use the same email address to reach out.
Before we jump into
‘s piece we wanted to share a couple of pieces from the Substack community (and previous guests here) for you to read/ save for later. Head over to ‘s stack to read;And
wrote this wonderful piece on creativity and taking up space this week too;On that note are you happily with our weekly posting schedule?
‘Company of Two and You’ with Abigail Mann
I’m an author, creative writing tutor, and mum of a seven month old.
I adore dancing in the kitchen, comedy, and supporting people with their writing like an over enthusiastic cheerleader with a pen in hand. London is home and I love bringing up my daughter here.
When did you become a mum and how long have you had a company of one and what do you do within it?
I became a mum in December of 2022 and became a company of one very recently, as I was made redundant from my part time job four months into maternity leave. I never considered going freelance before because it always felt too risky, but as people started messaging me asking if I was opening up mentoring positions again, I thought… it’s now or never!
I spend my time writing (although recently my word count has dropped exponentially due to my little time vampire) and will deliver my fourth novel to HarperCollins at the end of the year, I coach writers with the London Writers Salon, mentor writers tackling novels, and run creative writing workshops. I used to be a teacher, so writing and tutoring is my dream crossover of work.
How has having children impacted your work flow, creativity, your inspiration and your ability to manage your work?
Initially, it was panic. I was supposed to have finished my novel one week before the baby was due and as that date came closer, I was more anxious and the words petered out altogether.
An understanding editor and an extended deadline has seen that pressure ease, but it’s only when we passed the six month mark that I felt in any way coherent. I used to write in big chunks of time, but picking up a novel in 20 minute bursts is so hard, as I spend most of the time trying to remember the plot, or editing what I wrote before.
Creativity has come in unlikely places, as there are gorgeous, unexpectedly mindful gaps that have allowed my imagination to kickstart again, like walking around with the buggy, night feeds, or the people I meet now that my social circle has widened from all the baby activities going on.
I’ve had to be so much more intentional about how I use time, asking my partner for support, or simply having every item I need within arms reach when she naps splayed across my stomach!
What advice would you give to a mum just about to start their journey with balance, being and business in motherhood?
Time is not there for you to be as productive as possible, especially in the early days. Those first three or four months go so quickly and no one is paying attention to your ‘output’. It’s a ‘full the cup up’ time, not a ‘pour the cup out’ time.
Also, baby sensory is overrated and going to the supermarket is just as stimulating for a small person who gets excited over a big packet of crisps.
Thanks so so much to Abigail for guesting for us this week.
Over to you…checking in… how are you all this week? We’ve nearly made it through the summer hols! 🥳
From Claire;
We are BACK from our (new) Camper Van adventure which was just so fun (and so hard at times). I’m weaning Luna and we’ve gone about it in a less gentle way that I would have liked to meet both our energy levels.
I took a photo to mark the last sleepy feed and realised I’d nursed her for over 1000 days. It’s been heartbreaking and beautiful and I’m so so proud of us. I’ll talk about it more in our next podcast I think. Work wise I’m getting back in the swing after mine and my son’s birthday festivals! There’s been an obscene and glorious amount of cake!! I always find this transition out of summer hard but I’m also ready. I’m really enjoying showing up for my members over at and at and I’m so glad I have this purposeful work to do in the midst of what feels like 1001 rejections!
From Laura:
Firstly, how brilliant is Abigail–I have giggled a lot whilst reading her entry. I am meant to be in Bratislava right now, recording a contemporary female composer’s composition (I jokingly referred to it as a mini-break as I would have been in a hotel on my own save for three other lovely sopranos). As Claire knows, I was having real reservations about going away from my family, and about the flight (I haven’t flown for years and had an anxiety attack on my last flight for work, shortly after my third miscarriage). I had however worked extremely hard on getting prepared both mentally and musically for the experience, and was really excited to see the date approaching. Sadly a cough I’ve had for a month developed into a full-blown chest infection, coupled with every asthmatic’s best friend, a wheeze.
I’ve lost £1500 (not all singing pays like this, I wish it did), the chance to be a stranger in a foreign (to me) land, and the chance for adventure, but I’ve gained time to make sure my chicks are ready to fly by to school on Monday, the first sunny weekend in the U.K. in forever and the opportunity to sleep and recover (antibiotics and steroids are also working hard).
I am now working with as my VA in lots of wonderful ways (she’s aces and we have completely “clicked”), who is helping me get my website ready for a big launch, which feels delicious and so exciting. I’ve written some big numbers down in my notebook for between now and Christmas, and some big goals (including reaching 10000 steps at least four days out of seven in a week).
That was longer than I expected, so thanks if you’re still with me!
Building this community is such a joy and we are so keen to hear your voices in it. If you haven’t seen this post Company of Two - and you!
We invite you to contribute to our shared world via three simple questions in a google form.
Please don’t do that society-induced thing expected of women (and mothers) and think “who wants to hear what I have to say?” WE DO.
You are not meant to do this alone. Those feelings you have: we’ve had them too. In the thick of it right now? We see you and we send support, love and a gentle sunshine energy your way. Get outside today if you can. Drink the water.
Call a friend, or do comment here.
With love as ever,
Laura and Claire
x
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Ahhh hard relate to ALL OF THIS. My littlest is three months old and only now do I feel able to string more than a few sentences together. Even then it’s still quite tasking on the brain. I batch created most of the content for my business before going on leave because, having been here before, I knew I’d enjoy more thinking time and less doing time. The mind works in mysterious ways in this postpartum phase...I’ve felt so creative!
Oh I was nodding along to everything Abigail said in this post! William is 6 months now, and work is getting harder to cram in to 20 minute slots too. But you’re so right, it helps if you have everything within reach while they’re feeding or napping on you 🤣. I’ve managed to balance my laptop on the smallest of surfaces while he feeds/ sleeps, and get SO much work done.
It’s been wonderful working with you, Laura! 🥰