Let the margins be the margins

The opposite of squeezing in

As I scroll my Substack and Instagram feeds, I sense a theme among artists (and parents and people in general): we are tired, burned out, maxed out, craving permission to rest, release, retreat.

I feel the same. Over the last year, my OCD recovery has focused a lot on pushing through the anxiety, doing it anyway, doing it scared. I am so proud of how far I’ve come. Proud and tired.

For most of my life as a parent, I have created in the margins, priding myself on how much I can do with so little. I have squeezed in more words, more discipline, more output. I love Ashlee Gadd’s call to create in the margins of motherhood, but I’ve realized I’ve slowly been taking away all of my margins. I’m constantly squeezing and cramming, maximizing and prioritizing.

In this season, I want to focus on disconnecting my worth from my output. I want to move slowly, do less, produce less (and still call myself an artist!).

Instead of squeezing in, I’m letting my margins expand. I’m exhaling, healing, dawdling and doodling, taking up space, resting without earning it, choosing ease and presence with my kids, with myself.

Maybe you feel it, too?

Maybe you’d like to join me in letting your margins be your margins.

Other artists/mothers/creators on rest:

• And who am I if I don’t? by Adrienne Garrison

• She wants to write a poem by Rachel Nevergall

• Anything by KJ Ramsey recently, especially this post.

• “Beauty gives way to beauty. A mercy for every season.” caption by Amy Grass

• Rest as spiritual practice: taking a break by Kandi Zeller

Let me know in the comments if this resonates with you. On a housekeeping note, I’m not sure how active I’ll be here until after the New Year. Taking a break used to freak me out and make me feel like a failure. I’m living the healing these days and it feels so good.