Hi friends,
What a treat it was to spend an hour with
on a blustery Friday morning in early February. I was absolutely delighted that Lyndsay was open to honestly sharing her experience of the visceral, immediate and all-consuming caregiving early motherhood brings and the way her creative life has been changed, shaped and enriched by it.
Though this is the focus for the conversation we shared, there was plenty of time to compare and contrast the phase she is in with the era of parenthood I inhabit now. Spoiler alert: there may be fewer tantrums and hugs but their need for emotional connection is just as strong, and putting the time in learning how to do a tight French plait will reward you in the long-run.
Not yet familiar with Lyndsay? Let me introduce you…
With a background in interiors PR, Lyndsay named her
Story and Thread because it combines her love of design and storytelling:Words hold a place in cultural consciousness and ‘thread’ means so many things, from a yarn to create a textile; a continued theme or idea; an exchange of messages; mindful movement around obstacles; the filament of a flower and even the very fibre of our being.
Her publication is evocative, sumptuous and honest, detailing her life at the intersection of mothering and creative living. She is in tune with the energy of the seasons and an engagement with the living world runs throughout her work and words. Lyndsay is a generous space-holder for others, too, and invites other creatives to share their creative processes and rituals as well as part of her ATELIER series. I loved this particular edition, featuring
of Brand Seasons:
During our conversation, we drill down into how Substack offers much-needed space for supportive and creative community in the post-Mumsnet era; tussle with the ethics of sharing family life online and muse on what it means to invite your children into your creative life… And be cool with it when they cleave their own path.
From the unboundaried mess of lockdown to now-tidy dining tables; international travel to working around naps, we covered it all. There is so much to learn from this inspiring creative who juggles two small children born close together with her work here and beyond. I am especially in awe of Lyndsay’s ability to write given that my creative life at that time took a far more practical form, running Garnethill Women’s Collective, which you can read more about in this post from last spring:
Episode Notes
The following writers and books were mentioned as part of our discussion:
The First 40 Days by Heng Ou
A Life’s Work by Rachel Cusk
I’ll be back with you on Wednesday with Episode 12 of Held in Mind, and you can catch up right here:
Held in Mind: a Memoir
Seasonal Journaling Sessions
A reminder that the first of my 2024 Seasonal Journaling Sessions will be open for ALL SUBSCRIBERS on Thursday 22nd February 8-9pm GMT. The following three will be for monthly and annual subscribers, but I’m delighted to open the virtual doors wide for this first one of the year.
Here’s the Zoom registration link you need, then just turn up with your favourite writing implement, nice paper and (possibly) a candle to light…
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAkde2orjgvEt12KaxydTHrxeu82-Gu0VOc
As is our custom, we’ll be exploring ourselves in relation to the current micro season, the moon phase and what’s revealed by pulling a card from the Earth Alchemy Oracle Deck.
Really hope you can make it along.
Are you balancing your creative / freelance work alongside the caregiving of young children? How does it work for you? We’d love to know how you balance (or don’t!) these elements of your life. Whether you find boundaries easy to maintain See you in the comments?
Lindsay and Lyndsay x
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