Can you be creative on parental leave?
August 24, 2024Join Typ Åsa on a journey towards dreamy creative days, flowing images, and hands drawing on different materials.
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If I had written this six years ago, I would have included an illustration showing my life right now. Back in 2018, I completed a 100-day project where I drew every day for 100 days. Now, I’m a newly single mom (by choice), and time is a precious commodity. So, just imagine a well-rested blonde woman with a perfectly kept home. 🧐 Hmm?!? The more truthful image is:
✌️ A woman who doesn’t get all the sleep she needs but is determined to make time for creativity despite having a baby under six months old.
👩🏻🦲 The blonde hair comes off as soon as I walk through the door. I’ve lived with alopecia since 2011. You might see me without a wig or with a scarf or bandana on social media and when I’m on vacation.
📦 There’s usually some organizing that needs to be done at home, but I’d rather spend my time creating, which means = no perfect home. But I’m known for having the coziest home.
Almost six months into my parental leave, I know it IS POSSIBLE to paint, take photos, film, and plan ahead. My son is the reason I’m home. So, he comes first. Always. Life with him is rich, and it feels like meaning gives birth to more meaning. That’s why I’m starting this blog to show that it’s possible to live a creative life with a baby.
Many people tell me they know someone with alopecia when I share my story about losing my hair. But they learn the name “alopecia” through me. Others respond by sharing their own life changes. My experience with alopecia is something I also want to write about. It hit me at a sensitive age, just a couple of years before I turned 30. I’ve now lived with alopecia for 13 years. Imagine that—I’ve become a hair-teenager! But the kind who’s not ashamed to hold their parent’s hand and plays with wigs. 😉 The greatest gift of losing my hair is the humility that came with it. I wasn’t a haughty type before, but now I carry a calmness like a clutch bag in the city. And on other days, I have BIG-HAIR-ENERGY that I share on Instagram.
So, what are you joining me for? The short answer is 📣 The Hunt for Creativity 2024. Along winding roads to illustration assignments, Typ Åsa chases opportunities to illustrate, animate, and make ceramics. Nervous, motion-sick passengers are kindly asked to step out of the picture world filled with color, courage, and words. Did you know that movement is contagious? You can benefit from following mine. Sure, I’m free from the stress of my “regular” job as a communicator and project manager. But I’m also balancing a bundle of cuddles that grows and develops every day 😝. None of us are standing still—neither baby, nor me, nor you. We’re moving towards creativity.