After a bit of a pause, we return with a conversation that reflects the heart of this podcast: what it means to create, care, and hold many parts of a life at once. Today, Kaitlin is joined by poet and longtime listener <a href="https://www.instagram.com/megan_leonardpoetry/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Meg Leonard</a>, whose new book <a href="https://www.broadstonebooks.com/shop/p/larkspur-queen-poetry-by-megan-leonard" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Larkspur Queen</a> (Broadstone Books, 2025) explores identity, care, and the shifting creative self. Together, they dive into the nonlinear reality of making art while mothering, working, and navigating chronic illness, and what it means to value process over product in every season of life.Meg shares how her friendship with Kaitlin began through this very podcast, reflects on the search for authentic creative community, and reads two poems from her new collection. They also discuss the months of “unproductive” writing that ultimately became essential to Meg’s poetic process.Meg’s Work: <ul><li><a href="https://www.broadstonebooks.com/shop/p/larkspur-queen-poetry-by-megan-leonard" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Larkspur Queen</a> (Broadstone Books, 2025)</li><li><a href="https://milkandcakepress.com/product/pre-order-book-of-lullabies/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">book of lullabies</a> (Milk & Cake Press, 2020)</li></ul> Please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and give us a rating. This will help us reach more listeners like you who are navigating the joys and pitfalls of artistic and parenting identities.Visit our website: postpartumproduction.comFollow us on Instagram: @postpartumproductionpodcastSubscribe to our podcast newsletter on Substack: <a href="https://postpartumproduction.substack.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://postpartumproduction.substack.com</a>

After a bit of a pause, we return with a conversation that reflects the heart of this podcast: what it means to create, care, and hold many parts of a life at once. Today, Kaitlin is joined by poet and longtime listener Meg Leonard, whose new book Larkspur Queen (Broadstone Books, 2025) explores identity, care, and the shifting creative self. Together, they dive into the nonlinear reality of making art while mothering, working, and navigating chronic illness, and what it means to value process over product in every season of life. Meg shares how her friendship with Kaitlin began through this very podcast, reflects on the search for authentic creative community, and reads two poems from her new collection. They also discuss the months of “unproductive” writing that ultimately became essential to Meg’s poetic process. Meg’s Work: Larkspur Queen (Broadstone Books, 2025)book of lullabies (Milk & Cake Press, 2020) Please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and give us a rating. This will help us reach more listeners like you who are navigating the joys and pitfalls of artistic and parenting identities. Visit our website: postpartumproduction.com Follow us on Instagram: @postpartumproductionpodcast Subscribe to our podcast newsletter on Substack: https://postpartumproduction.substack.com

After a bit of a pause, we return with a conversation that reflects the heart of this podcast: what it means to create, care, and hold many parts of a life at once. Today, Kaitlin is joined by poet and longtime listener <a href="https://www.instagram.com/megan_leonardpoetry/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer">Meg Leonard</a>, whose new book <a href="https://www.broadstonebooks.com/shop/p/larkspur-queen-poetry-by-megan-leonard" rel="noopener noreferrer">Larkspur Queen</a> (Broadstone Books, 2025) explores identity, care, and the shifting creative self. Together, they dive into the nonlinear reality of making art while mothering, working, and navigating chronic illness, and what it means to value process over product in every season of life.Meg shares how her friendship with Kaitlin began through this very podcast, reflects on the search for authentic creative community, and reads two poems from her new collection. They also discuss the months of “unproductive” writing that ultimately became essential to Meg’s poetic process.Meg’s Work:&nbsp;<ul><li><a href="https://www.broadstonebooks.com/shop/p/larkspur-queen-poetry-by-megan-leonard" rel="noopener noreferrer">Larkspur Queen</a> (Broadstone Books, 2025)</li><li><a href="https://milkandcakepress.com/product/pre-order-book-of-lullabies/" rel="noopener noreferrer">book of lullabies</a> (Milk &amp; Cake Press, 2020)</li></ul> Please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and give us a rating. This will help us reach more listeners like you who are navigating the joys and pitfalls of artistic and parenting identities.Visit our website: postpartumproduction.comFollow us on Instagram: @postpartumproductionpodcastSubscribe to our podcast newsletter on Substack: <a href="https://postpartumproduction.substack.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://postpartumproduction.substack.com</a>

Redefining the Creative Process: Poet Meg Leonard on Parenting and Productivity

TL;DR (i.e., give me the elevator pitch!) description:
Being a producer of creative projects and a mother don’t need to be mutually exclusive pursuits—how can we as parents in early postpartum (and well beyond!) reframe and reclaim the work we do as creatives and caregivers, to be seen as productive, valued, and meaningful? Join novelist and host Kaitlin Solimine on this journey to reframing postpartum and caregiving as worthy of intellectual, philosophical, and socially-impactful pursuit.

Long description:

It’s hard to find the balance between being a mother and pursuing creative projects – especially during the 4th trimester. When Kaitlin Solimine, a published, award-winning author and mother of three young children, was lying in bed recovering from her third childbirth, she had an epiphany: this time that most have described as “lost” time, was rather extremely creatively informative for her (she wrote new sections of her novel and even launched this podcast from that bed!).

Deep in the trenches of early postpartum herself, join Kaitlin and her creator-activist-mother guests, as they navigate the liminal space between mothering and creating. If you are a new parent in postpartum, had a creative pursuit before you became a mother, or simply seek inspiration from other artists who are creating during a transitional time, this is the podcast for you.

These episodes will provide you with practical and philosophical suggestions on how to reframe your work in a space where parenting is not ordinarily considered meaningful productivity, generate new ideas on how to incorporate creativity into motherhood (and how parenting moments may inspire creative pursuits as well!), and explore other artists’ processes around creating during the transition to parenting young children. Although this podcast is not meant to be prescriptive, hearing these stories and learning about the tools other creatives use will hopefully inspire you to consider ways to integrate your artist and caregiver identities in meaningful, impactful ways.

Why the term “production”?

Google the term “postpartum” and you’ll be led to a plethora of websites about postpartum depression and anxiety. While these are important topics and experiences worthy of additional research and support, the postpartum period, when treated with support and curiosity, can be reframed as one of creative possibility and identity transformation. Rather than relinquishing new mothers to corners where they need to choose between creative work and caregiving, or where they feel completely lost when it comes to their creative identity, this podcast provides a third path for creative mothers who are seeking meaning and validation of the caregiving work they do on a daily basis.

What is “productive” time when you’re a mother and a creative? How can public-facing creative projects, and the often hidden and devalued time of raising humans, be seen as “productive” pursuits within the current capitalist structure of American and Western society?

Kaitlin herself has discovered that the postpartum period after birth offers an opportunity to pause and find new significance to exploring artistry while caregiving as an integral part of life. Notably, Kaitlin recorded the early episodes of her first season while in postpartum with her third child.

Biweekly, Kaitlin talks with authors, poets, writers, painters, philosophers, and parenting experts about mothering, changing perceptions of motherhood/parenting, art, creativity, activism, family leave, childbirth, finding inspiration, changing identities, expansive change, caregiving roles, and more.

Society & Culture

Arts

Parenting

Kids & Family

TL;DR (i.e., give me the elevator pitch!) description: Being a producer of creative projects and a mother don’t need to be mutually exclusive pursuits—how can we as parents in early postpartum (and well beyond!) reframe and reclaim the work we do as creatives and caregivers, to be seen as productive, valued, and meaningful? Join novelist and host Kaitlin Solimine on this journey to reframing postpartum and caregiving as worthy of intellectual, philosophical, and socially-impactful pursuit. Long description: It’s hard to find the balance between being a mother and pursuing creative projects – especially during the 4th trimester. When Kaitlin Solimine, a published, award-winning author and mother of three young children, was lying in bed recovering from her third childbirth, she had an epiphany: this time that most have described as “lost” time, was rather extremely creatively informative for her (she wrote new sections of her novel and even launched this podcast from that bed!). Deep in the trenches of early postpartum herself, join Kaitlin and her creator-activist-mother guests, as they navigate the liminal space between mothering and creating. If you are a new parent in postpartum, had a creative pursuit before you became a mother, or simply seek inspiration from other artists who are creating during a transitional time, this is the podcast for you. These episodes will provide you with practical and philosophical suggestions on how to reframe your work in a space where parenting is not ordinarily considered meaningful productivity, generate new ideas on how to incorporate creativity into motherhood (and how parenting moments may inspire creative pursuits as well!), and explore other artists’ processes around creating during the transition to parenting young children. Although this podcast is not meant to be prescriptive, hearing these stories and learning about the tools other creatives use will hopefully inspire you to consider ways to integrate your artist and caregiver identities in meaningful, impactful ways. Why the term “production”? Google the term “postpartum” and you’ll be led to a plethora of websites about postpartum depression and anxiety. While these are important topics and experiences worthy of additional research and support, the postpartum period, when treated with support and curiosity, can be reframed as one of creative possibility and identity transformation. Rather than relinquishing new mothers to corners where they need to choose between creative work and caregiving, or where they feel completely lost when it comes to their creative identity, this podcast provides a third path for creative mothers who are seeking meaning and validation of the caregiving work they do on a daily basis. What is “productive” time when you’re a mother and a creative? How can public-facing creative projects, and the often hidden and devalued time of raising humans, be seen as “productive” pursuits within the current capitalist structure of American and Western society? Kaitlin herself has discovered that the postpartum period after birth offers an opportunity to pause and find new significance to exploring artistry while caregiving as an integral part of life. Notably, Kaitlin recorded the early episodes of her first season while in postpartum with her third child. Biweekly, Kaitlin talks with authors, poets, writers, painters, philosophers, and parenting experts about mothering, changing perceptions of motherhood/parenting, art, creativity, activism, family leave, childbirth, finding inspiration, changing identities, expansive change, caregiving roles, and more.

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Redefining the Creative Process: Poet Meg Leonard on Parenting and Productivity

Redefining the Creative Process: Poet Meg Leonard on Parenting and Productivity

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