Hustle culture doesn’t support you here. Nor does it have to.
ASK you ideas, your business, your vision… “what would you have me do now?”
Kat River
Hello loves,
WELCOME back to
where we explore being, balance and business in motherhood. We are and and we are both creatives and mentors. We are passionate about lifting the veil on how businesses can and do work within the intensity of motherhood. We both run businesses that work around family life and we share more of that on our podcast. You can listen right here.This week we have our 11th community GUEST post… as always we are so excited to share this with you. These posts are a joy to read and edit.
We hit 168 subscribers here last week and our podcast has 1600 downloads - we are so conscious of growing this space soulfully and steadily, and it feels so wonderful to be connecting with mums all over the world. Hi! ✨
We’ve now had 19 people complete the short Google Form invitation. It’s the same 3 questions you’ll find here below. We are gently working through them and will post the responses in order of their arrival! This is number 11.
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.
‘Company of Two and You’ with Kat River
Kat River is a creative, writer and experience curator, based in the Noosa hinterlands of the Sunshine Coast, Australia. With her two sons, husband and 6 chickens.
Q1. When did you become a mum, how long have you had a company of one and what do you do within it?
I became a mum in May, 2020, years and years after yearning for it but waiting for the counterparts to fit.
I leant in to every part of it, and through both joys and challenges, I found myself writing. Creating. Making. Sharing. It was received incredibly well and I quickly allowed my identity as a couples and relationship coach dilute and dissolve. I had been working as a couples coach with my husband, and had worked with hundreds and hundreds of couples over the years leading up to motherhood, though I also had a gut feeling - motherhood would change it all.
And so it did. After a year of sitting in limbo I claimed that I was, in fact a creative - not a coach- and moved into the space of supporting “mother makers” aka other mother creatives and exploring the dance of being a mother alongside creative pursuits.
Q2. How has having children impacted your work flow, creativity, your inspiration and your ability to manage your work?
Initially, having my son felt like such a gift. A muse, if you will. I lived into my experiences more fully, therefore has so much more life force to give to my writing.
As he got older, and realistically needed more of me, I absolutely moved through waves of resentment, feeling distracted BY him, FROM my creative passions.
It was a homecoming to really link and witness how mothering him actually FED me creatively, and also, how mothering my creative expressions actually fed me to show up and mother him. I had to create many energetic boundaries with my creativity.
Once upon a time an idea would come knocking on my shoulder at 11pm at night and I’d be up for the rest of it, mind mapping, expanding and creating. Pulling it from the ethers and down into reality.
Motherhood grounds us. I don’t have the availability for my creativity in that way anymore.
So I set boundaries. “Not now” And a simple “Yes, I’m open, you’re welcome to arrive” To my creative surges, was just the beginning of cultivating a new relationship with my creativity as a mother.
Q3. What advice would you give to a mum just about to start their journey with balance, being and business in motherhood?
Your visions, WANT to nourish you.
Trust that.
They don’t want you run into the ground, depleted, trying to show up for everything in your life.
Hustle culture doesn’t support you here. Nor does it have to. ASK you ideas, your business, your vision… “what would you have me do now?” And follow those next steps.
Just as we follow our children in awe, though still guide the way with boundaries.
We are often mind blown and heart melted at what they teach us.
Let it be the same for our creativity.
Dear creativity / my business/ my art
What can you show me about myself? I’m willing to show up for you. Let’s strike a deal for a collaborative, nourishing, co-working experience. I know you want to have me thrive. I want that too. Let’s do it together.
Thanks so so much to Kat River for guesting for us.
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. We’d love to chat more about you stepping into the vision for your life, business and motherhood.
With love as ever,
Laura and Claire
x
Our Sponsors here at Company of Two
These mother led small businesses supported our pilot podcast episodes and the building of this community for you. We are so grateful for their support and especially to
for the beautiful illustrations.You can find all their amazing details in this post:
Please check out their businesses if you have time and follow them online to support their work as they have supported us.
You guysss! I almost forgot I submitted this but so glad I did. Must have been when I FIRST found you guys!! Great questions haha!