The "new and startling" ways motherhood changes art

Del Kathryn Barton's portrait of Cate Blanchett

Last week, ArtsHub spoke to me, artist Lily Mae Martin and writer Alice Robinson about whether motherhood changes a woman's art.

The responses from Alice and Lily beautifully describe the profound impact having children can have on an artist, both practically and emotionally.

"I understand now, in new and startling ways, the vast scope for love – but also for despair and loneliness and impatience and boredom – that we can posses," Alice says.

"Though the fact of the children complicates my ability to write on a logistical level, I am grateful for the lessons these small, remarkable people have taught me about what it is to be human: striving, contradictory and flawed. If writing fiction is about investigating lives and minds and mistakes, as I believe it is, then I am doing more nuanced work now thanks to the precious trials and triumphs bestowed on me by motherhood." 

Lily has always been a courageous artist, but says motherhood has made her even braver.

"I had a pretty terrible birth experience, and I remember things weren’t going well. One of the first things I thought was, oh my gosh, I’ve wasted so much of my time. So I think I become more aware of my own limitations I guess and a bit braver because of that."

Read more of what they have to say here.