Nikko Snyder talks to Regina SK-based interdisciplinary artist, musician, poet, and parent Amber Goodwyn. In our conversation, Amber and I talk about parenting when parenting isn't central to your identity, the universality of birth and death, clear divisions of labor, performing parenting on social media, prioritizing art and refusing to feel bad about it, the final deadline (otherwise known as death), releasing perfectionism and the need for perfect conditions, and becoming ready by simply doing the thing.

• Amber Goodwyn on Instagram
• Natural Sympathies on Instagram
• The Love Project
• Natural Sympathies – homemade music and more xo
• Four Violins by Tony Conrad
• Toboggan hill – Sask Dispatch
• Welcome to GRR!

Parenting Creative explores the places where creative life and parenting collide, and all the magic and mess that ensues. Through deep, honest conversations with diverse artist-parents who are walking the walk, we explore both the struggles and the real, practical ways to make creativity and parenthood work—on your own terms, in ways that sustain and inspire you for the long haul. And we do it in community—because neither parenting nor creative life can thrive in isolation.

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takeaways

• Art is central to Amber's identity and well-being.
• Parenting can be isolating, but art helps navigate challenges.
• The urgency of creation is influenced by the awareness of mortality.
• Balancing family responsibilities with creative pursuits is essential.
• Modeling values for children through personal artistic practice is important.
• Rejecting the performative aspects of parenting is liberating.
• Playfulness enhances both art and parenting experiences.
• Maintaining joy and balance in adulthood is a continuous journey.
• Embracing mistakes is crucial for growth in creativity.
• Discipline and habit are key to sustaining artistic practice.

chapters

00:00 The Intersection of Art and Parenting

08:36 Navigating Parenthood and Artistic Identity

15:05 The Role of Death and Urgency in Creation

22:05 Balancing Creative Life and Family Responsibilities

25:33 Influences of Upbringing on Artistic and Parenting Styles

30:04 The Reality of Parenthood and Social Media

33:17 The Role of Play in Creativity and Parenting

42:08 Embracing Failure and Mistakes in Creative Practice

44:37 Overcoming Perfectionism and Finding Balance

46:25 The Importance of Discipline and Habit in Art

52:45 Current and Future Projects

keywords

art, parenting, creativity, identity, motherhood, performance, playfulness, play, balance, discipline, community, perfectionism; artist parent