Create Anyway: The Joy of Pursuing Creativity in the Margins of Motherhood by Ashlee Gadd: Book Review

  *Book received for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

Motherhood and creativity can coexist. 

You have creative dreams swirling in your heart, but pursuing them while changing diapers and managing the carpool schedule feels impossible. You have no time. No space. You can mother, or you can create. You certainly can't do both (right?!).

But what if you could pursue your God-given creative gifts alongside motherhood, for the enrichment of both experiences? What if you stopped viewing creativity as a selfish act, and started to see it as essential to your own flourishing as a mother? 

This book is a much-needed permission slip to do just that--through the pictures you take, the stories you write, the meals you make, the music you play, the gardens you grow.

In this unforgettable book filled with rich storytelling and stunning photographs, writer and mother Ashlee Gadd helps you set aside the guilt and discover the sacred connection between creating and mothering. One-part commissioning, one-part pep talk, Create Anyway will propel you forward with a renewed sense of energy, purpose, and enthusiasm for stewarding the creative dreams God has planted in your heart--right alongside the diapers and carpool.

Here's to creating in the margins of motherhood.

Here's to creating anyway.

Ashlee Gadd (www.ashleegadd.com) is the founder of Coffee + Crumbs--a beautiful online space where motherhood and storytelling intersect. As a writer and photographer, Ashlee has spent her entire motherhood creating in the margins. When she's not writing or vacuuming Cheerios out of the carpet, she loves making friends on the internet, eating cereal for dinner, and rearranging bookshelves. She and her husband have three kids and live in Northern California.

I have always been a creative person. Whether it’s through creating stories, taking photos or my attempts at crafting, there is something that brings me joy in creating. But finding time to create in the midst of motherhood can be difficult. We too often feel like if we’re taking this time to follow our passions to create, we’re dropping the ball as a mother. Create Anyway offers encouragements to moms that remind us that this is not the case and this it is okay to be the creative women that God created us to be. It’s a beautifully written book with fantastic images throughout, making it a book that is not just an encouragement, but a delight to read as well. If you’re struggling to find the balance between life as a mom and your creative desires and need a little encouragement along the way, this is certainly a book worth checking out.