Taryn Nergaard: Trying New Things

Did you think of yourself as a creative kid? What does creativity look like for you these days?

I’ve always felt creative. My earliest creative memory was in 3^rd grade when I wrote and illustrated a short story about unicorns. Drawing and art didn’t continue, but my love for writing did. I currently write a weekly newsletter and create resources that focus on helping people embrace their neurodivergence, and I would love to write and publish both non-fiction and fiction books one day. Additionally, I get to stretch my creative muscles through book design, and primarily interior formatting, through my self-publishing company that I started in 2018. It’s been life-giving to have work that uses my creativity for others, as I find I feel less pressure in these projects than writing or publishing my own work.

How much time do you get to work on creative projects?

As my kids have gotten older, I have more time for creative projects, but I always find it easier to work on my clients’ projects rather than my own. I homeschool my four kids, so our typical day consists of school in the mornings then my work in the afternoons. My clients’ books take priority, but I typically don’t mind. My focus over the past few months has been to regularly journal each morning. I don’t do it for a set amount of time, but I aim for 1-3 pages. This is creativity for myself, and sometimes this writing gets shared in my newsletter. It’s been good to carve out time for my own creativity, not just in service to others.

How did motherhood change your creative practice?

I lost a lot of my creative practices in my late teens. I’m not sure if it was social and academic pressure or mental health challenges, but I recall not writing anymore and even dropping out of my creative writing class in high school. I started practicing photography in my early twenties when I took a digital photography class in university, and that creative practice continued while my first kids were young. Eventually I picked up blogging and that’s where writing became a regular practice again. I wasn’t writing stories or poetry like I did when I was young, but it was something I could put my attention to that felt like it was just for me. Over the past decade, this is something I’ve continued to develop as a creative person and entrepreneur. I’m at my best as a wife and mom when I have something to be passionate about for myself and make the time to pursue it.

What’s inspiring you outside of your own genre?

As an online writer and graphic designer, most of my work is created digitally. I’ve never been able to draw well, and painting isn’t a medium I’ve tried. Seeing my oldest daughter and others in her generation drawing, painting, and crocheting really inspires me. Being away from their phones and computers to work with their hands to create something feels counter cultural. My daughter wants to teach me to crochet though, so maybe that will be a new creative practice for me soon!

What do you hope your kids will learn about creativity from you?

It took me many years to stop feeling guilty and selfish for taking time away from my family to explore my own creative pursuits. I hope my kids understand that creativity is a necessary part of our world and that it’s important to honor the creativity within each of us. Especially for my daughters, I hope they see that it’s possible to be a present, loving mother and a woman whose desires and passions are worthy of pursuing. I believe we can do a better job at giving mothers permission to pursue what’s important to them outside of motherhood.

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Taryn Nergaard

is a certified trauma-informed coach specializing in helping neurodivergent women embrace their unique design & thrive. She is also the owner and creative director of Typewriter Creative Co., a self-publishing service that helps authors publish books that stand out on digital shelves without the stress & overwhelm. Taryn lives in British Columbia, Canada where she homeschools her four kids, ages 6 to 13, alongside her husband and loveable Labrador Retriever. You can learn more about her work here.

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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.