After posting the other day about my mis-adventures in mold making, Mel of Feffakookan brought the blog Six Hundred Degrees to my attention an in particular this post in which the author Sophie Milne talks about the book The Divided Heart: Art and Motherhood by Rachel Power. 
I’m already ordering my copy but just thought all the other mud mommas might like to know about it. Sophie brings up a great point about the place of motherhood in “high art” and it’s an interesting discussion to have. I’ve spoken to many since having my babe who have asked if he has had an impact on my work and without a doubt he has as in every aspect of my life now I feel I have to be more accountable and responsible for what I put out there. But people seem relieved when you say that you aren’t making art directly about motherhood as it gets the old “crafty, hippy, flaky” stamp on it. Seems sad that such an amazingly miraculous process in life has little place in art world.
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HI Carole,
I am a ceramic artist new to blogging and am loving your blog! I appreciate this post especially about motherhood and art. I wish I had continued with my art in even a small way when I had my children, so I encourage you to do that, if that is what you want! We made all kinds of things and it was a blast AND I didn’t really give myself permission to keep up my own work.
Thanks for the discussion.
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Hi Carole,
I agree with you about the reluctance to engage with motherhood as an art issue. I think it might be because the intellectual side of the ceramics world is dominated by male writers. I’ve been to many conferences where you would think from the papers presented and the artists talked about that hardly any women now, or ever were ceramicists. The male world of hairy, woodfiring has managed to achieve the respect it deserves, if mothers who are making keep talking about the physical, intellectual and emotional issues and extacsies of being an artist mother our voices will get through. But I think it is really important to talk about these things in national and international forums and not just keep them personal. Being a successful artist and a mother is a special, amazing thing and other mothers and young women thinking about having children long to hear about it.
Shannon, you must be reading my mind cuz i’ve been thinking all week since writing that post that putting together a panel of young moms and old pros for a discussion maybe even for the next oz national conference or nceca would be a brilliant way to have this topic discussed out in the open. I know I would have loved a panel like that a few years ago in preparation for this little (major) adventure…hmmm we should talk…
Me too! I think it would make a great panel especially with mothers who have been successful on an artistic and intellectual level. Lets bust open the wall of silence around being a mother artist!!!