Michelle DeKeyser: Leading a Community
It's Mothers Who Make Monday.
What did you use to do during recess?
I can really remember sitting in the corner more because I really felt like I didn’t belong and went to a Catholic School through High School which left me socializing with a small amount of people which is why providing a supportive connecting community is so important to me. I don’t want anyone that wants to participate to feel like they don’t belong.Â
Did you think of yourself as a creative kid? What does creativity look like for you these days?
As I kid I use to love to make up games like pretending I was in the Wonka Factory or creating my own gym. I see my kids doing many similar make believe games and they can spend so much time with their little fake kitchen even at the age of 12, 10, and 7. But it was also always creating gifts for others. My mom always like to make personalized decorated candles and cards. And so I’ve picked up many of that with learning how to make my own style of cards, t-shirts, and even sometimes photobooks. Â
As my dad was dying from pancreatic cancer, I ended up creating a celebrating life book. I created a google form that asked family and friends questions about my dad and asked for pictures. I turned this into a book he was able to read before he passed, and it has become a great way to remember him and keep him near. But this is the type of thing we could do for birthdays or anniversaries and I plan to do more. Â
When do you feel most creative?Â
When I feel the genius flow, time feels like it stands still, and I can keep being in the moment. I found myself feeling this when I interview people, when I’m writing, when I’m drawing or doing projects with the kids even creating word of the year paintings together. And especially when I’m running a women’s circle, I’ve spent so much time working to be creative in how one can be run virtually and still feel that sense of community.Â
Who would you love to collaborate with? What’s a dream project for you?
I love to collaborate with other mothers who are sharing their genius with the world and to work together to spread messages. My dream project is to create a platform just for mothers to figure out what their genius is and to get all the tools needed to make it happen even while being amid motherhood. I want all the coursework and all the speakers under one app so moms can make their dreams a reality. Â
What’s inspiring you outside of your own genre?
My kid’s curiosity inspires me. Watching them try new things and asking me to do it with me many times gets me out of my comfort zone. My daughters always inspire me to do more creative projects and draw more with them. My son inspires me to try different things in the kitchen because of his love of cooking.Â
What do you do when you feel burnt out or filled with doubt?
The days where I allow myself to believe that I’m behind or not moving fast enough and I let self doubt get the best of me. Today as I write this I really felt that after a huge podcast launch that I just wasn’t sure was good enough, we put these qualifiers on ourselves.Â
What do you hope your kids will learn about creativity from you?
Honestly, I strive to be the role model that they can model. I’m willing to try new things, put myself out there, and admit my mistakes and apologize to them. And in doing these things we make some creative projects. I started creating t-shirts during covid when we were trying to make Easter a bit more fun and forgot to buy some. But I let them find their favorite characters and we started the process. Last week I made my first t-shirt for my company so I could wear it at my daughter’s swim meet even putting a QR code on the back that lead to my website and gave my podcast name.Â
If you had a million dollars to make the world a better place, how would you spend it?
I truly believe right now we are in a time when it is about helping other women as well our ourselves rise up in economic power. I want to be able to provide scholarships and grants that help other moms out their create the business of their dreams. Because I truly believe with financial freedom and fortitude for more women, we will be able to make this a much better world for ourselves instead of thinking we need to give our gifts for free. We need to help each other rise up and support each other.Â
Michelle DeKeyser is a loving Mama Empowerment Speaker, Author, and Coach who believes in the transformative power of women's circles. With a background in education and a deep passion for connecting mamas, she wholeheartedly supports mothers in igniting their passions through grace and community. Michelle's heartfelt mission is to create a world full of passionate, connected mamas who lovingly inspire those around them by using the nurturing concept of women's circles. She is a mother of three: Liam (12), Bella (10), and Lily (7). You can connect with Michelle here and listen to her new podcast here.
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