I almost lost my creative self ✨ (My first year of motherhood)

What happens to your creative career after you have a baby? ✷ In this video, I’m sharing the honest reality of my first year of motherhood as a freelance illustrator and author; How my schedule changed as a working mom, trying to manage my ADHD, overcommitting and burning out, and how my life had to change in order to keep both my freelance illustrator career and my sanity intact. I’ve been freelancing for nearly 10 years, but a baby is a huge change. While I wasn't starting from scratch I had to learn to adjust to a completely new season of life. ✨ In this video, we talk about: Returning to work postpartum & "the fog" Navigating ambition and identity shifts (Artist vs. Mom) Overcommitting and learning boundaries ADHD, structure, and routine disruption Travel and mom guilt Deciding on daycare earlier than planned Restructuring priorities and income streams What I would do differently next time NAVIGATION ✸ 0:00 Intro 3:21 What did I expect? 5:31 Survival Mode: the newborn stage 10:31 Being a 'Working Mom' 15:30 Trying to work with a Baby 22:46 Taking on too much (REGRETS) 36:02 What surprised me the most about motherhood 37:54 What would I do differently? 41:29 What I wish I knew sooner 43:46 What am I still figuring out? If you missed how I prepared for all of this, watch Part 1 here: How does a Freelance Artist take Maternity Leave? (My Prep Guide)    • How does a Freelance Artist take Maternity...   Support my work by preordering LOVE IN EVERY LANGUAGE here!: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/bo... If you’re a creative, freelancer, or working mom trying to figure out what “balance” actually looks like in real life, I hope this helps. I promise you, you aren't alone in this juggle! Let me know in the comments: What changed the most for you after becoming a parent? How have you navigated your own creative identity? What advice would you give? MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO: ✸ My 2025 Income Analysis - https://anooshasyed.substack.com/p/br... ✸ My Art Career Timeline Video -    • From Burning Out to Bestseller ✸ My 10-Yea...   ✸ My Artist Mentoring Service - https://www.anooshasyed.com/consulting 🖥️ LINKS ★ Portfolio - https://www.anooshasyed.com/ ★ Artist Resources - https://www.anooshasyed.com/resources ★ FREE Portfolio Prep Worksheet - https://www.anooshasyed.com/theillust... ★ Buy My Books - https://www.amazon.com/stores/Anoosha... #motherhood #artistmom #workingmom #freelanceartist #adhdartist