Creative Conversations: Motherhood
We ask 5 inspiring Australian creatives what motherhood means to them and how it has shaped and informed their lives.
JULIA Busuttil NISHIMURA
Melbourne-based Julia Busuttil Nishimura is a cook and author. She is mother to two young boys, Haruki and Yukito.
Photo: Annika Kafcaloudis
H&F: What is your most memorable Mother’s Day moment?
Julia: My first Mother’s Day would be the most memorable moment. I felt this deep feeling of gratitude for my new role but also for my own mother who sacrificed so much for me and my siblings. It was really special to spend the day with her – celebrate her and be celebrated too.
What does being a mother mean to you?
Being a mother to me is one of the hardest things in the world. I’ve never felt worry and anxiety like I did after having my babies. But also the intense amount of love is something incredible.
“There are moments of exhaustion - being a mother is busy but also full and wonderful. My two boys completely enrich everything.”
How do you juggle work and motherhood?
Growing up, my mother always worked full-time. In fact, she was a single mum raising three of us. I don’t take it for granted that I have an amazing partner to parent with. I love my work and it’s a real team effort to juggle it all. I feel lucky my work is really flexible and fits in well with our lives too. It’s definitely a balance, but it works. I make sure to schedule in time for myself too – even just going for a solo walk can really fill the tank.
What do you hope most for your two young boys?
I hope they grow up to know their worth - to know how amazing they are as individuals but also know they are not lesser or better than anyone. I want them to grow into kind, caring and empathetic humans with a strong sense of social justice. A love for good food and cooking would be a bonus too.
Your wish for Mother’s Day this year?
My wish for Mother’s Day this year is that we vote in a government who cares. One that will act on climate change so that our children, and all of us, have a bright future.
SARAH NEDOVIC GAUNT
Melbourne-based artist Sarah Nedovic Gaunt creates abstract sculptural pieces. She is a mother to two young children, Angus and Francesca.
Photo: Stephanie Stamatis
H&F: What is your most memorable Mother’s Day moment?
Sarah: I think my first Mother’s Day will always be very special. My son Angus was almost one year old, and Melbourne was deep in its first lockdown in 2020. I remember we walked to the market, cooked a delicious lunch, and just lounged around the house together. It was low-key and lovely, one of the few upsides of lockdown was slowing down and appreciating the small things and the people around you.
But this year will be my first Mother’s Day with two babies, which I am very excited about!
“Being a mother means being completely and totally overwhelmed (in the best possible way) by love, joy, and responsibility. It means thinking about someone else before yourself every time, which is an invaluable lesson.”
How do you juggle work and motherhood?
Being a working mother is one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done. I love my children, but I also love my work. Being creative really balances me and is such an important part of who I am.
I find the only way to juggle both is with lots of helping hands. I’m lucky to get lots of help from my husband, other from family members and a nanny. Dinnertime can be difficult with two young ones, so I try and make evenings as easy as possible with slow cooked meals and simple ingredients.
Do you think becoming a mother has shaped the direction of your work?
I don’t know if being a mother has shaped the aesthetic direction of my work, but it has made me more conscious about what materials I use and the impact my business has on the environment. I love that clay is a natural material and our studio makes the lamps from start to finish by hand, which involves very little travel and emissions. We also try to support local suppliers as much as possible.
What do you hope most for your children?
I hope to give Angus and Francesca every opportunity to pursue their interests, passions and dreams and that they’re happy and successful in whatever they decide to do.
Your wish for Mother’s Day this year?
To go for a long bushwalk with my husband and two children. I’m happiest when I’m in nature and with family, so it’s the perfect combination for me!
Juliette Arent SQUADRITO
Juliette Arent Squadrito is a principal at Sydney-based design practice, Arent & Pyke. She is mother to 8 year old twin daughters Valentina and Paloma.
Photo: Julie Adams
H&F: What is your most memorable Mother’s Day moment?
Juliette: My most memorable Mother’s Day moment was in their first year of school. There was a breakfast for the mums for Mother’s Day, and they were both singing in the choir with their school friends. They were so proud that we were all there. It was a total heart explosion! In fact whenever I see them do anything at school I always feel overcome with joy and pride – what a thrill it is to witness them develop into such capable beautiful little individuals.
What does being a mother mean to you and what do you hope for your two girls?
For so long it’s just a blur, but I’m deeply honoured to be Valentina and Paloma’s mum, both of them are so full of spirit, character and sass. Becoming a mother has meant more growth, more expansion and more patience on my side. It’s a huge responsibility, to be one of the two main people in their corner, while they do their learning, growing, expanding and blossoming.
My desire is that they are compassionate, resilient, loving people who always follow their heart. I also hope they witness a transformation in the world, a transformation that sees humanity as a whole become more conscious, more empathetic and more loving. My hope for them is that they see possibility and potential in everything they set their minds to and rely on a deep intuition that hopefully I can help foster.
“I like that the girls see both Matthew and I working, and both of us sharing the parenting and domestic stuff. It’s a good thing to install into kids that men do as much of the ‘nurture’ as women.”
How do you juggle work and motherhood?
For our family, I like that the girls are aware that I’m still a person in the world with dreams, desires and responsibilities. When they were smaller it was a little easier and the blend of work and home life was blurrier. Now they’re 8, I think it’s important that when I am with them I am really with them, so I try and avoid phones, laptops and interruptions where possible. I work a day from home so I’m still able to walk them to school and home again. Those walks are still my favourite thing to do - the conversations are always entertaining.
Your wish for Mother’s Day this year?
I’m really not a breakfast in bed person, I prefer to get up and all be out either on the beach or going for a walk on the coast. Art is a very big thing in our household, so there’s always a creative extravaganza, that mostly Valentina has been directing and concocting over the previous weeks – she declared years ago that she wanted to be an artist, and to this day is unwavering. Paloma writes love letters, I’m always finding notes and letters in my note books or the book I’m reading. I love their drawings, I have the most incredible collection of cards, paintings and artworks collected over the years.
Kara Rosenlund
Brisbane-based Kara Rosenlund is a freelance photographer with an eponymous lifestyle brand. She is mother to Edie and is expecting her second child next month.
Photo & Main Hero Banner Image: Clare Lancaster
H&F: What does being a mother mean to you?
It means more than I ever thought possible. The emotional aspect of becoming a mother is enormous, so much so I don’t think I have even begun to grasp the magnitude of it.
“Being a mother influences every decision I now make and I feel as though I’m part of the circle of life.”
How do you juggle work and motherhood?
I think all mothers, fathers and nurturers have a lot of balls up in the air when it comes to raising children. Nothing is perfect and we’re all trying our best. For me personally, it feels as though work demands change each week and I need to have the flexibility to roll with it. I’m very lucky as my photographic studio isn't far from home and my print shop is online. So I can quickly go between the studio and home depending on where I’m needed.
What do you hope most for your daughter?
My biggest hope is she gets to experience a real childhood and that the modern world doesn’t rob her of that. I hope I can share with her a strong sense of connection to the natural world on the island where we split our time and she will cherish those years of freedom and curiosity. Ultimately I hope those years will help shape her decisions making for when she is older and figuring out where she sits within the world.
Do you think becoming a mother has shaped or changed the direction of your work?
In many ways, yes. I hope my daughter will be proud of me and my work when she is older. My work is very much about the landscape and nature, and by having a baby and the journey of childbirth I have never felt more connected to nature. I’m actually in the process of shooting a new photographic print release inspired by this.
What’s something that surprised you about motherhood?
How much I absolutely love it. Don't get me wrong, it's hectic, tiring and blurry, but my heart has never felt fuller or more content. I honestly didn’t think I would love it this much.
Emma Itzstein
Emma Itzstein is a contemporary Australian artist. She lives in Geelong with her husband and toddler son Otis.
Photo: Anita Beaney
H&F: What is your most memorable Mother’s Day moment?
Emma: Last year was my first Mother’s Day - it felt like such an honour! We’re pretty low key, but we like it - we started the day with home made pancakes and went out for coffee and to the park with our dog. It was perfect.
What does being a mother mean to you?
It’s such a huge responsibility. It’s not lost on me just how much influence we have on these little humans and who they become. I think there are many seasons of being a mother - Otis is only two and I have a huge motherhood ride ahead of me.
“Being a mum to me means abundant love and connection. It means being a learner - being open to what Otis has to teach me and in turn giving him the opportunities to find his joy and meaning.”
How do you juggle work and motherhood?
I think I find the psychological juggle harder than the actual juggle. I’m really lucky to be able to rely on a combination of my generous mother-in-law, an amazing babysitter and childcare to get consistent hours in the studio. It really does take a village. The biggest challenge for me is managing the mum guilt in combination with the frustration that you’ll never have the time to do everything you want in the studio; but I’m really working on being present and when I’m with Otis not thinking about work - and in turn - trying to not think about Otis while I’m in the studio. I find it helpful to draw comparisons to those who have to show up to a full time ‘day job’ while they sustain an art practice too - it’s not unusual for artists to have to juggle competing responsibilities to get the work done, so I find that a nice leveller to think about, to not get caught up in feelings of resentment. To be honest, the hardest thing about balancing work and motherhood is carving out time to do things for yourself - it’s easy to fall into the trap of working every second you get away from parenting and I think it’s important to spend some of that time just relaxing too.
What do you hope most for your son?
I hope Otis is able to find a life full of purpose and fulfillment. I hope he experiences lots of love and friendship. I hope he’s able to build a level of grit and resilience to rise to the challenges of life and show a great sense of character and integrity in the way he goes about things. I hope he is compassionate and forgiving to himself and others.
Do you think becoming a mother has shaped or changed the direction of your work?
Honestly, not really. I think it has changed the way I operate logistically. How I need to prepare and manage work loads etc, but not so much the content of my work in a direct way. I think the challenges of motherhood and the challenges of the past two years in a broader sense has pushed me to breaking points that have naturally compelled me to explore psychological philosophies and theories, which has informed lots of my work, so indirectly you could say that motherhood has pushed me towards new possibilities in my work.
