A Letter to the Woman Who Feels Guilty about Being Creative // Grace Babineau

 

I don’t know if it’s the summer heat or what, but my four and two year old daughters have both been going down for afternoon naps lately. Whatever is the cause, it’s a total gift from God. 

After sneaking down the steps and avoiding the parts of the wooden floor that squeak, I look around downstairs. Lunch sits out on the table, half eaten. The kitchen needs a solid tidy. Laundry needs folding, some freelance writing could be taken care of.

And I’m so tempted to use the entire naptime, however long it is (or isn’t some days) to just clean, organize, and do writing work that pays the bills. It’s an act of the will to walk around toddler toys, dishes in the sink, and piles of laundry in the basket, plop myself down on the couch, and spend time simply creating, simply being human: Writing in a journal. Reading a good book. Sitting in silence. Praying. Enjoying quiet moments where no one is asking me for a snack.

Why is it hard to prioritize creativity? Why is it so hard to cultivate creativity? And why is it tempting to just spend my time doing things that either have a productive end (I cleaned the linen closet! Mopped the floors! Knocked out load after load of laundry!) or come with a paycheck at the end? That (and more!) is what we’re diving into in this episode of the Letters to Women podcast.

Today I’m sitting down with Grace Babineau. She’s a wife and mom of two, and she recently wrote an article on Verily Magazine called “Thrift is the Really Romantic Thing” about why saving money might be the best thing for your marriage. And today we’re talking about thrift and romance, but also the virtue of simplicity, prioritizing creativity in seasons where it’s easy to write it off as a luxury or selfish desire, and how to actually cultivate time in your day for creativity.

So whether you are wondering how in the world creativity can fit into your daily life if you barely have time for a shower, or you’re interested in learning about how simplicity and thrift can actually be romantic, sister, this letter is for you.

Topics we talked about in this episode:

  • Grace’s story as a Catholic woman

  • Grace’s recent article for Verily Magazine on what G.K. Chesterton had to say about thrift and romance

  • Finding things to talk about with your spouse when you don’t share interests in common

  • What it looks like for Grace prioritize and cultivate creativity as a woman and mother

  • How witnessing her daughter play reminds Grace of the importance of play in her own life—and what play practically looks like in our lives as women, wives, and moms

  • How to embrace thrift and creativity when it comes to home making

  • How Grace lives ou the feminine genius in her daily life

Resources you should check out after listening to this episode:

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