It may seem quiet over here, but it's definitely not! In fact, I think our home has never been more filled with shrieks and giggles.
My first ever collaboration with Simone, a digital drawing of Mother and Daughter.
If I'm being completely honest, I entirely forgot that I was attempting to upkeep with this digital journal, and I can't believe that I haven't submitted an entry since my exhibition in November of 2022.. a whole lot has happened since then!
Most importantly, I have been living out an absolute dream. I gave birth to my incredible daughter in February 2023, and she is unbelievably curious, thoughtful, adventurous, creative, inspiring, and exhausting. She has shown me my true purpose and is undoubtedly my best friend - this love is one that I have never known before and could never have imagined or anticipated until her tiny warmth was placed into my arms, resting forever on my heart and soul.
In the year that followed I experienced so much joy, sadness, confusion, giddiness, frustration, awe, and a million other tiny big feelings that change as quickly as a newborn's diaper (IYKYK). Nate is an incredible dad, and it has been the greatest privilege to see him grow in confidence and purpose alongside me. As she grows, I see his sense of adventure swell as though she is a storm taking what he already loves and possesses and thrusting it to the surface with more gusto than ever before - his personal storm surge. Did I just come up with my next series concept? I think I may have.
My return from my maternity leave didn't follow the perfectly organized path that I had once imagined it might, but instead adapted with the needs of our family and the circumstances that presented themselves. Nate and I stumbled into an opportunity to bring our daughter to the place where we met and fell in love, and I spent the summer painting on the porch of a cabin, Simone cheerfully playing in a faithful Skip Hop activity center, the crisp Adirondack air surrounding us with children's laughter. I slowly worked my way back into things. At times I thought I'd hacked the system, but was immediately proven wrong by teething and sleep regressions. As summer ended we said goodnight to our favorite red pines and made our way back to Massachusetts, very aware that our transition home would be fierce. Nate returned to work, and I did too, although the balancing act of raising a badass, managing a business, creating, and finding a smidgen of time for myself is a constantly evolving process. Commissions were crafted in 22 minute increments and client emails were sent at 4 am. It became clear that sacrificing sleep for attempts at social media updates was not going to fly for a little while.. and so I worked quietly (at least in the sense of this day and age, I was off grid). My turnaround times have stretched and my workload capabilities have certainly shifted too, but I have had the honor of creating so many beautiful pieces during this time, have been part of many beautiful beginnings and celebrations, and have found new joy in being creative with new little hands beside me.
I have slowly started ramping back up, finding peace and rhythm in my new normal. You can expect to see more frequent website updates and instagram posts, and to hear a lot more from me here, too! I have big aspirations for this year, but also am entering into this stage with grace for myself and my creative. On top of my growing commission queue, I hope to bring the Badass collection back to life, as well as a series of original works, but only time (and Simone) will tell.
I feel so honored to work in this way, able to have a front seat view to watch this tiny human learn the world around her, and I feel such a tremendous responsibility to ensure her life is filled with lessons, perspectives, thoughts, and nourishment so that she can grow to be the storm she already is.
XO
Bailey
