Balancing the art of motherhood with work as an artist is a constant pressure to strive for balance. All the self-help guides for mothers trying to ‘do it all’ advise getting organised, being super efficient, staying up the night before to prepare for the day ahead — all counterintuitive to a creative process that calls for going with the flow and having time to just muse!

Amidst all this pressure to perform is the underlying chaos of unbalanced hormones, causing feelings of being overwhelmed, anxious, disconnected and forgetful. But where does this pressure come from? From within, or from societal norms and expectations?Perhaps it is a mixture of all three. The pressure of guilt doing creative work whilst not caring for children and vice versa can cause discontentment, dissatisfaction and frustration. With this mindset, is balance even unachievable? Maybe by simply acknowledging these negative feelings, that elusive goal of balance could become an ever-shifting reality.

The submitted work represents the tug-of-war feelings between trying to act upon the creative urge and fulfilling domestic duties and obligations. The inspiration behind this piece came whilst homeschooling during lockdown and in a fit of absent mindedness, due to being under too much pressure, I put the kettle in the fridge!

Read more about Nanette Madan.