My Year of Blending Motherhood, Business & Slow(er) Living

An honest glimpse into the delicate mothering-work-writing dance and childcare routine that I've (mostly) maintained for the last year

Welcome, I’m Lindsay. The Slow Studio is a space I’ve created to write about my approach to slow(er) living as a design studio owner, multifaceted creative, first-time mother and more. Keep up with me on Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok.

For the last 14 months I’ve fallen into step with a delicate dance that waltzes between motherhood, business ownership and writing – but mostly motherhood, if we’re being honest.

A morning neighborhood walk before reviewing print design work for a client.

When I found out that I was expecting my daughter Margot, I spent nearly my entire pregnancy trying to figure out what work-mothering-life balance could look like for our family.

As someone who has been driven and career-oriented for as long as I can remember, I was surprised when a sense of deep, inner knowing told me that entering motherhood should signal a season of slowing down in my work – not indefinitely, but certainly for these tender, early years.

As a business owner, I don’t take my flexibility for granted. I’m incredibly privileged to possess the freedom to choose to scale back on client work in seasons of life that call for it, to explore a work schedule that falls outside of traditional office hours and to have a partner who supports our family.

At this time I’ve chosen to selectively work with studio clients who most closely align with my values: clients who are founders of dynamic, woman-owned businesses and possess a vision that I feel genuinely excited to bring to life through brand and website design.

This looks like taking on no more than two clients per month, with a focus on more large-scope work (think full branding, website design and print design to paint the full picture) and less small, one-off projects.

For the first time in my nearly eight years of business ownership, I’ve upheld boundaries around my time out of necessity – and it feels liberating.

There is no roadmap for motherhood, just as there is no roadmap for entrepreneurship.

In an effort to transparently share, I’m pulling back the curtain to share what my imperfect work schedule looks like with you – because I couldn’t find anything like this while I was feeling anxious, lost and overwhelmed carving out my own path.

Of course, this schedule will flex and change as Margot transitions deeper into toddlerhood, childhood and beyond – but for now, I feel incredibly grateful.

A glimpse into what my days currently look like…

5 a.m.  Yes, I know – it’s early. I’ve fortunately become an early riser in adulthood and truly savor the stillness and quiet that these wee hours bring. I like to start my day with a hot shower as soon as I get out of bed and let my skincare soak in while I go downstairs to start the coffee and feed our dogs. While I have my coffee on the sofa I do a Spanish lesson and read one chapter of the book I’m currently reading (right now it’s “Tender at the Bone” by Ruth Reichl) to help wake up my mind, and then I open my inbox and address any pressing client emails before the business day begins. I often use this time to also freewrite what’s on my mind, which often turns into what I choose to share on Substack.

7 a.m. Margot is typically up at this time, so we savor some morning quiet time together before breakfast and play.

8 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I currently have in-home care for Margot for four hours, twice a week. On these days I work from our home office or a nearby coffeeshop – these are my ultra-focused hours to complete design and development work for studio clients, administrative work like invoicing, and to hold any new business calls with potential clients.

8 a.m. to noon Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I’m in mother mode with Margot, and we enjoy ourselves. We hardly ever stay home for a full day, typically spending our mornings at the library, going for stroller walks when it’s nice outside or visiting the art museum.

Noon to around 2 p.m. Margot is napping, which means I’m working. I’ll pick back up on any client design work that needs tending to at this time and will continue to work until she wakes up.

2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Once again, I’m in full mother mode. Afternoons are full of more play, reading and music. Around 5 p.m. I’ll start dinner while we wait for my husband to get home from work, and at 6 p.m. Margot starts to wind down with her nightly bath. She typically wants to go down for the evening around 7 p.m., which is when her bedtime routine starts.

7 p.m. to 10 p.m. These are what I call my magic hours, or when I’m feeling deeply inspired to design or write. I’ll tend to any additional client work or write what’s been on my heart on Substack before enjoying a cup of tea and slipping into slumber.

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If you did the math while reading, I currently carve out a very loose 40 hours per week of available working time between taking advantage of the margin hours in the mornings and evenings paired with part-time childcare.

Of course, this is an imperfect number and doesn’t account for life: sickness, sleeplessness, commitments and appointments have and will continue to come up.

There have been afternoons where I just can’t dig deep and find it within myself to answer a challenging client email or refine a brand concept any further.

And that’s okay.

If anything, this season of slowing down to blend mothering, working and writing has shown me that I’m a human, not a machine, and my daily outputs hold no weight in regard to my worth. The same holds true for you 🤍

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If you’re in the same pursuit of mothering-work-life balance, I’d love to hear from you. What do your days currently look like, and how are you feeling about them? I’ve learned that there is no right path or answer for this journey, but only what feels right for us in the moment.

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