Marissa Paape: Gravitating Toward Self Expression
How much time do you get to work on creative projects?
My schedule varies, but I fit in writing wherever and whenever I can. It is my escape, my outlet. My life is full of pleasant (“Mama, hold me”) and not so pleasant (screaming, crying) interruptions. So I have to work in fragments. Luckily, my mind is already quite scattered, so this isn’t abnormal for me.
My mother is an amazing painter, and I think I get some of my scatter-brain from her. She is messy, distracted, unorganized and quite the stereotypical artist. You wouldn’t notice that about her from her paintings, though. They are beautiful, slightly abstract, Picasso-esque paintings.
I want to work on building more order in my household, but I come from a house of chaos, so this is a mighty feat. For now, the writing I have been doing is fulfilling and I try not to get hung up on rigid schedules.
How did motherhood change your creative practice?
I started writing my Substack a month after my son was born. I needed a creative outlet, there was so much going on in my life that I had to write it down. The transition into motherhood blindsided me. The difficulty was immense along with this lingering question I kept asking myself; why didn’t anyone tell me?
My writing career didn’t even start until after my son was born, so, in a way, I have him to thank for that. I knew that I enjoyed writing but I never thought of it as a career. I was in school for counseling and I just recently graduated. I plan to start working with clients and providing therapy soon. However, I notice that in my spare time, I gravitate towards my computer and begin writing on my Substack. It’s just something I love to do.
How does art enrich your life? How does being a mother enrich your art?
Art is everywhere and unavoidable. It’s one of those words that mean nothing and everything at the same time. The definition of art is fuzzy, but I think we should keep it that way. Art is better undefined.
Jackson Pollock is one of my favorite artists, because he showed the world that art doesn’t require a lot of money. There is a quote I read that states that we should “separate art from artists.” While I think this is true in some cases, how do you separate Jackson Pollock’s art from Jackson Pollock? His entire being and character is portrayed in every single splatter of paint. For me, that’s what being an artist is, portraying your whole being into your work, and converging artist into art.
Being a mother requires artistry in every domain. From organizing, to planning, to playing, to bathing, to cleaning. Each task necessitates creativity on some level. Creativity doesn’t have to be painting or doing pottery, it can be as small as washing the dishes and letting your imagination soar. Sometimes I will let my son play with the faucet and spray water, and he laughs just as much as when we’re outside playing with the hose. It’s really simple and really small, but it makes the biggest difference.
How can we support and encourage each other more?
This one piece of advice I heard on Modern Wisdom really struck me; whenever someone crosses your mind, your mother, your husband, your co-worker, your uncle twice-removed, send them a text or give them a call saying you are thinking of them, or just say hi. It can make a huge difference in their life, and help them feel more connected to you. It’s one small act for you, but potentially a huge impact for someone else.
The Substack community has been so wonderful and supportive. Most of the writers on Substack want to help, and even the team at Substack will answer questions that people have.
I’ve noticed that a lot of the questions on the Office Hours Substack page are about growth. Many writers want to know how to grow their audience and make more money. I did this at the beginning too. As time has gone on and my subscribers have stayed pretty stagnant, the numbers haven’t phased me. I still continue to write because I love to write, regardless of “growth.”
Don’t be discouraged by the number of subscribers you have or the number of likes on a post. Understand that your worth as a writer is in the work that you do, not the numbers on your homepage.
lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and one year old son. She’s a therapist and Substack writer on her days off. She also posts a monthly podcast with her husband discussing relationships and parenting. Read her Substack here or find her on Instagram @MarissaPaape.
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Hi! I’m Heidi. Writer. Editor. Mother. I’m interviewing 100 creative mothers, because I believe the more we see other mothers making beauty and meaning in small moments, the more we will be inspired to make our own kind of art, whatever that may look like during this intense season of life. Support the project by sharing with a friend.