Marcy Farrey: Collaborating with the Universe
Did you think of yourself as a creative kid? What did you do for fun?
I’d say I was a pretty creative kid. I was always lost in my imagination, and I absolutely loved to read. I was always reading. But one of my favorite things to do was to have my mom make me a blank book so I could write my own story. She’d just fold sheets of paper in half and staple them, and I just loved that. I wrote my own story about a little girl who wanted a star, and her dad got up and took it out of the sky for her. My kindergarten teacher saw it and let me share it with the class, which then prompted other kids to make their own books and share them. I think it’s pretty cool that my mom inspired me and then I inspired others!
What does creativity look like for you these days?
My creative time is focused on the writing and creations I make for Substack, which includes personal essays, meditations, and journal prompts. I love to make these and Substack ended up being the perfect place to share them. I create in what I like to call “stolen time,” which I sometimes feel guilty about. But basically that means I’m writing in the Notes app on my phone while breastfeeding or while my girls are playing independently. I write a lot of meditations that way! I find a lot of ideas come to me while I’m playing with the girls, and so I rush to type them into my phone the second I have a moment. Then I flush everything out more when I should be sleeping (late at night or early in the morning) or when my husband is watching the girls for a bit.
How much time do you get to work on creative projects?
Not as much as I would like! But I try to get at least an hour a day of that “stolen time” as I described above. These sometimes happen in very little increments of 5 minutes at a time, but I’ll take whatever time I can get, however it comes to me!
How did motherhood change your creative practice?
I’d say my creative practice is far more free-flowing now. I used to be more rigid with it, needing a certain environment set up and a specific time scheduled or set aside. Now, I allow it to come when it comes, and if I can’t get to it right away, I am feverishly jotting down notes to revisit later. I think this gives my ideas more space and time to grow, rather than forcing myself to create something all in one sitting.
In short, motherhood has allowed me to release all expectations around what a creative practice should look like and surrender to my own creative flow and the flow of my life as it is now with two little ones.
When do you feel most creative?
These days, I often feel most creative either in the early mornings, when everyone is asleep and it is just me at my computer, or right in the midst of playing with my girls! The second one surprised me, I never thought I’d have so many ideas pop in when I was just sitting there, playing with toys. But it must be the playful side of me that gets the ideas to flow.
Who would you love to collaborate with? What’s a dream project for you?
I would love to collaborate a lot more with Tarot and Oracle card deck creators, and I have plans to start featuring them on Soul Journaling Sessions with short profiles. I’m about to start making my own deck soon, bringing my paid subscribers on Substack along with me on the journey, and I can’t wait to bring in the stories and perspectives of other creators.
I hope someday I can do more with indie deck creators, maybe creating a deck together or running workshops together. I’m open to a lot of possibilities!
What do you do when you feel burnt out or filled with doubt?
I take a break from creating and return to my spiritual practices, as that’s often what I need. I pull Tarot or Oracle cards and journal. Making sure I get back to my meditation practice is also a huge help. I need to take breaks to slow down a bit, and I often forget that, so when doubt creeps in, I know it’s time.
How can we support and encourage each other more?
I think support and encouragement can be quite simple: Share each other’s work, comment, like, etc! And if you notice someone hasn’t created or shared in a while, check in with them. Just knowing that people care and are looking out for you or rooting for your success is huge. A kind comment goes a long way. A simple heart/like on a post goes a long way. I’m also a huge fan of collaboration. If you want to support someone’s work even more, ask them about collaborating so you can bring their work to your community as well.
Nebula Notebook is a place to meet kindred spirits, get inspired, and learn how to find ease and joy in the creative process—even when life is bananas. 🍌🍌🍌
✏️ PS—The fastest way to grow as a writer is to book a manuscript critique or a creative coaching session with an expert. My clients get agents, sell books, and win awards. They also learn how to enjoy the creative process, so they can keep going when life gets hard. 👏
Love this! And how she writes when breastfeeding! Could relate
Thank you so much for interviewing me for this series, it is such an honor to be included! And it was such a delight to open the app and see this this morning.
I very much appreciate all you are doing to share the stories and unique perspectives of creative mothers. This series is such a great example of meaningful collaboration!