Ep 6 with Katie McCrory: How motherhood can set your creativity free... if you let it

Welcome to another episode of "Where Did I Go?"! This week, we're diving into the transformative power of motherhood on creativity.

Most of us have heard the spiel that becoming a mother takes away our freedom and sense of self. What we don’t often hear is how it can also spark a massive creative expansion; a total cosmic realignment of who you are and what you’re here to make.

In this episode, I chat with the incredible Katie McCrory, a brand storyteller at IKEA and a passionate writer, about how becoming a mum didn’t shrink her creative life. It blew it wide open.

While on maternity leave, Katie wrote the book she’d been thinking about for years. Not because she finally had spare time (lol), but because motherhood stripped everything back and made what really mattered impossible to ignore. The result? A creative identity that could never go back in the box.

Join us as we explore how becoming a mother can feel like the catalyst for extraordinary creative expansion.

Katie shares her poignant journey, revealing how the challenges of infertility and the joyous chaos of parenting reshaped her artistic identity. Her story is all about leaning into life's upheavals and embracing them as transformative, alchemic experiences.

We delve into Katie's writing process, her enchanting 'cosmic safety net', and the liberating shift from structured, task-oriented mindsets to a freer, more intuitive form of creation. And of course, we discuss the blessings of finding authenticity and backing yourself during one of life's most intense transitions.

So, grab a cozy drink, snuggle in, and let's get inspired by stories of maternal creativity and inner growth capturing the magic in all its forms. You won't want to miss this one!

Topics We Cover:

• How motherhood can spark creative rebirth
• Infertility, loss, and the liminal space of transformation
• Writing a book on maternity leave: the truth behind the fairytale
• Letting go of guilt and reclaiming time for yourself
• The myth of the tortured (usually male) artist
• Why creativity because of motherhood hits different
• Alchemy, identity shifts, and trusting the process
• Practical rituals and writing habits that work for busy mums

Timestamps:

00:00 – Katie’s journey to motherhood and what cracked her open 07:30 – The magic of the liminal space: life, death, and deep creative clarity 15:00 – IVF, grief, and asking the cosmos for help 22:00 – How Katie wrote her book on maternity leave 33:00 – Writing in 8-minute sprints, spreadsheet planning, and loving the process 41:00 – Substack, daily writing, and keeping creativity alive after the book deal 48:00 – Why your passions matter (and why your kids should see that) 53:00 – How to start: letting go of mum guilt and just taking the first step

  Resources & Links:

Pre-order Katie’s book: Where the Heart Is → Amazon UK | Waterstones (search: “Katie McCrory Where the Heart Is”)

Subscribe to Katie’s newsletter: → lifeathome.substack.com

 

📖 Mentioned in this episode:

• Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
• The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
• The Baby on the Fire Escape by Julie Phillips
• Atomic Habits by James Clear

If You Loved This Episode…

Please share it with someone who needs permission to create again — especially mothers. Tag us on Instagram, leave a review, or message Dani directly. We’d love to hear what resonated.

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