Motherhood and Creativity Interview #12 - Zoe Gardiner (she/her)

Zoe Gardiner is a research scientist, a mother of two, a full spectrum doula and multi-passionate creative. She is also the Founder of Postpartum Matters.

Welcome to Motherhood and Creativity, an interview series where I share the words of creative mums who inspire me here on Substack and beyond.

I share words of joy, strength, creativity and community in motherhood.

I feel like when we read the words of mums who speak so honestly about motherhood - the good parts, the hard parts and everything in between - this can really help give us some comfort and feel less alone.

I find so much inspiration from reading about mums who are all weaving their work and creativity around their kids too, as this is the situation I’m currently in. Knowing that there are other mums out there with creative dreams and careers and they are making it work around the edges of motherhood, that is so encouraging.

I hope you enjoy reading the words from these wonderful mums over the next few months, and that you find comfort and inspiration in their words too.

You can read all 11 of the previous Motherhood and Creativity interviews here.

Motherhood and Creativity Interview #12 - Zoe Gardiner (she/her)

Zoe Gardiner is a research scientist, a mother of two, a full spectrum doula and multi-passionate creative. She is the Founder of Postpartum Matters - a not-for-profit aimed at advocating for better postpartum care, all whilst supporting all women+ & girls of all ages and stages to feel empowered about their own health & wellbeing.

How old are your kids?

Ten and three

When your children are older, what do you hope that they remember about the kind of mum that you were?

This is a hard question! Hard because if I think about it, am I really achieving it? I am not sure. I guess, really, I hope they just remember that I was the kind of mum who offered unconditional love and acceptance of their whole selves, I hope they remember feeling free - to grow, to learn, to explore, to mess up - all whilst knowing I was right there if they needed me.

Day to day, I largely just hope they don't grow up thinking I was constantly strapped to my phone with my attention elsewhere, and this is something I try to be very conscious about.

When you think about the tough parts of your motherhood journey, which of your qualities/strengths have got you through these tough times?

I think just my sheer bloody mindedness! I can be very stubborn and headstrong and it is often put back to me as a character flaw however, I think this has served me well in those particularly hard moments of early motherhood - neither of which have been particularly easy.

What brings you joy in motherhood?

Those moments where we're just all in a pile together somewhere - on the sofa or in bed on a weekend - I think these are the moments that I cling to because I know they will be so short lived in the bigger picture of things and I will miss them dearly. There's just nothing better than being in bed with a warm drink and loads of blankets and children! I particularly love my eldest being able to read stories to my youngest whilst I just sit and enjoy them both.

How important is creativity to you?

I think creativity is just a natural part of who I am and so it feels like a very important piece of me - I also think it is one of the key ways to calm down the brain hyperactivity of my specific neurodivergence.

Tell us more about your favourite ways to be creative.

I think I see creativity as an every day thing - I am creative in my research science, coming up with new experiments and new ways of looking at things, I am creative in my non-profit work, finding ways for us to grow and to continue to support others.

In terms of more traditional creative pursuits, I think I am a bit of a magpie and like to do lots of different things.

So far this year I have been most drawn to writing poetry - I share my poems over on my personal Substack publication

Blooming Sundays

and am really loving the

Poetry Pals

community by

Nelly Bryce

here on Substack.

I am also really big in creative journaling and run a free weekly session at The Women's Health Hub every Thursday afternoon.

And then I'd have to mention my bookbinding - making books is such a joy. In my Mindful Bookbinding course on Substack (

Postpartum Matters CIC

), we turn it all upside down and we do the journaling and making and reflecting first, collecting pages that I then help folks turn into a wonderful, keepsake book. I really love it, for myself but also seeing what others come up with out of my gentle prompts. It's magic.

Since becoming a mum, have you experienced a creative surge? What did that look like for you?

I'd say definitely the first time, back in 2013. I fell pregnant at the end of my undergrad degree and, until then, I'd really put creativity to one side to really focus on my academic achievements. That all got swept away when I became a mother and I think that allowed space for me to re-find my joy of making. I think using my hands and making something regardless of what it might be - really helps keep me regulated in those early days. And I love a messy baby covered in paint or flour or mud or whatever!

The second time round my non-profit - Postpartum Matters - was born in the depths of my own postpartum recovery so I'd say that was a pretty big creative surge! She will be four in October and I think I'm still riding that wave.

What does honouring your creativity look like for you in this season of your mothering?

I still don't get much time for myself so it's really found in the cracks or in amongst the chaos.

I love waking up early before the rest of my family and writing a poem or taking some time to plan out my ideas. But most of the time it is just everything out on our big kitchen table, us all doing our own thing together. It can be hard, not to have specific focus time, but I do think I will look back on it all as a happy memory.

In my non-profit, I think my creativity is flourishing in terms of building other people up, showing them that they can be and are creative and growing a lovely community there.

What’s been your experience of finding a community in motherhood?

I always feel really blessed here. I will forever be grateful for going to my local attachment parenting group when my first baby was just weeks old as I have really found lifelong friends there. Those women held me through some really difficult years and truly showed me what community means.

I have taken that and tried to run with it in my current non-profit work and I now run a community space in Hartlepool called The Women's Health Hub. We welcome over 100 women and girls every month, some people come for one thing and then stay for more or they come on board and volunteer. It's a real community effort and I love it.

What words of encouragement would you offer to a mum who might be struggling at the moment?

It's hard. It is hard, it is not a personal failing that you feel that way. I think the moment I accepted that, everything felt easier - I was able to find and ask for help, I was able to lower the expectations I put on myself. It is hard and you are doing amazing, we all are ❤️.

You can find out more about

Zoe Gardiner

here:

Instagram - @postpartum_matters

Facebook - Women’s Health Hub Hartlepool

Website

Substack -

Postpartum Matters CIC

Thank you for your wonderful words Zoe, I loved so many parts of this interview including;

• when Zoe described one of the things that brings her joy as a mum is that “I particularly love my eldest being able to read stories to my youngest whilst I just sit and enjoy them both.” Something that also brings me huge joy as a mum is seeing my two eldest kids with their younger brother, as there’s a bigger age gap. It’s just beautiful to see them care for each other and be so intuitive with it too.

• how Zoe talks about creativity as a way to soothe, how she sees creativity as an everyday thing, and how having variety is important to her in being creative.

• how motherhood allowed space for Zoe to re-find her joy of making, and how it also helped keep her regulated in the early days of motherhood - I think there’s such huge benefits to being creative as a mum, it gives us a way to express ourselves, it’s mindful, it’s something just for us to come back to and enjoy again and again.

• how something beautiful, like Zoe’s non-profit can be created out of our own tough experiences, which was born in the depths of her postpartum recovery.

• how Zoe honours her creativity in this season of motherhood “ in the cracks or in amongst the chaos” - which I think so many mums can relate to. What I’ve realised is that it’s still possible to create and gain momentum in these cracks and amongst the chaos.

• how our creativity can be defined and expressed in so many ways - when Zoe says that:

“In my non-profit, I think my creativity is flourishing in terms of building other people up, showing them that they can be and are creative and growing a lovely community there.”

• how the ripple effect of finding a strong community to stand by you, especially in early motherhood is incredible. The impact of community in early motherhood where Zoe found lifelong friends who showed her what true community means - having that community not only helped Zoe personally but it has also helped all of the women who come to her community space for Postpartum Matters, as it provided her with the inspiration to create a community space.

I hope you enjoyed this interview in the ‘Motherhood and Creativity’ interview series - I publish these interviews every fortnight, and will continue to for as long as the interviews keep coming through.

You can read all 11 of the previous Motherhood and Creativity interviews here.

I’d love to hear from you in the comments:

• Which of Zoe’s words resonated with you?

• When you find the time to be creative in amongst the cracks and the chaos of motherhood, how does it make you feel?

• If you have also had a strong community in early motherhood, what kind of ripple effects has that had for you?

Ways to work with me:

• Swap overwhelm, mum-guilt and anger for calm and compassion by building up tiny moments of daily self-care over 12 weeks with the Bespoke Self-Care Plan for Mums.

• Are you ready to make positive changes in your life in a gentle and kind way, that fits in with your life as a busy mum right now?

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