Capture What Matters: #83 Making Creativity A Nonnegotiable Daily Habit With Tammy Blefeld

I want to let you in on a little secret. If you aren't giving yourself this time, you aren't alone. Many of us moms have far too many responsibilities to be able to connect with ourselves and our creativity on a regular basis.

But there is hope. Because when you do make the time and you do start giving yourself those 10 minutes, your life will change.

When I was still working full time as a teacher and building Momtography on the side, I would often rush out of my school building at the end of an exhausting day and immediately drive to daycare to reconnect with my daughter.

After the brutal commute home, I'd be met with a barrage of to do's – dinner prep, playtime, bathtime, bedtime dishes, laundry... The list goes on and on.

I just needed 10 minutes to connect with me.

Then one day I had the idea to try a little experiment. What if instead of rushing straight from work to daycare, I took myself out to coffee and journaled for 10 minutes before moving on with the rest of the day?

Those after-work coffee dates were exactly the reset button I needed.

When I took those 10 minutes of creative connection, I was able to show up for everything and everyone else with more focus, energy, and attention.

And the same thing is true for today's guest, Tammy Blefeld.

As a high-achieving, working mom, Tammy was constantly feeling like she was burning the candle at both ends. Her go, go, go attitude eventually ended in a breakdown and that's where our conversation begins today, diving into what happened when she turned this low point in her life into an opportunity to connect more deeply with her company, her camera, her family, and herself.

Photography tip:

This month in Momtogaphy Club, Jen and I are challenging you to fill the frame more while taking photos. Today, we're exploring why filling the frame is such a beneficial compositional tool and sharing some specific ideas for using this tool in your photography

Listen to the full episode to hear:

How Tammy went from being the go go go, all-in working mom to being the mom who makes the time to journal daily
What routines, habits, and tools Tammy uses to stay connected to her creativity, even when life goes off the rails
The surprising result Tammy had from opening up to her boss and connecting with her company around her personal breakdown
How she even got a promotion because she was taking better care of herself and was in a better mental place
What effect the unexpected link of accountability and habit formation had on how she now connects with her family