Episode 2: Journaling, Making, and Motherhood with Kenzie Swanson

Summary

For our first interview on Chasing Creative, we chatted with Kenzie Swanson from Hello Neverland. Kenzie is a writer, a photographer, an Etsy shop maker, and a mom to an 18-month-old. In the episode we chat about how her blogging strategy has changed over the last several years and how she’s tried out different creative outlets in a very public space. She gets real about going back to work after having her daughter - and then deciding that it wasn’t working and making the change to stay home. We chat about her love for journaling, how she manages her time, and what she’s been reading lately. Oh---and young, creative yuppies.

Where to find Kenzie

Her blog used to be Chasing Happy. Now it’s Hello Neverland.

Her Etsy shop rocks.

You can also find Kenzie on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Or, if you are in the Lincoln, Nebraska area, you can hire her as a photographer (she’s awesome!).

Where to find Ashley

Website: www.brookseditorial.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brookseditorial

Instagram: http://instagram.com/brookseditorial

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/brookseditorial

Where to find Abbigail

Website: www.InkwellsandImages.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/abbigailekriebs

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbigailekriebs/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inkwellsandimages/

Articles mentioned in this episode

Two articles on hipsters/yuppies/yuccies:

http://mashable.com/2015/06/09/post-hipster-yuccie/#rv.XtYj7fOqE

http://www.complex.com/style/2015/06/yuccie-explanation

Mini book club

The Homemade Kitchen: Recipes for Cooking with Pleasure by Alana Chernila

An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace by Tamar Adler

Bread & Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table by Shauna Niequist

Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them by J.K. Rowling

Quotes from the Episode

“Having a blog that you update regularly is a great way to push yourself.” --- Kenzie

"When you pick a niche topic, you are naturally going to be challenged to find different ways to write about that thing.” --- Kenzie

“In every creative endeavor, you are going to have ebbs and flows, and it goes in a cycle for everybody.” --- Kenzie

“The ebbs and flows don’t make you a bad or good journaler, just that journaling is always there for you when you need it.” --- Abbigail

“We don’t have to go to all these extra lengths to make the perfect photo album or perfect journal.” --- Ashley

“When it comes to art or business or anything, you have to experiment and see what works and think on your feet and let it change and let it evolve.” --- Kenzie

“So often when we get old, we get stuck in deadlines and routines and schedules and we let go of creativity. We are wired to be creative.” --- Kenzie

“You can’t see everything that is in front of you, but you can see what you need to do next.” --- Kenzie

“If it is not right, let go of it.” --- Kenzie

“We get so caught up in not failing that we’re not willing to take the risk to make something better for ourselves.” --- Abbigail

“What’s creative for me is going to be different than what’s creative for someone else.” --- Kenzie

“Give yourself the freedom to experiment with creative processes.” --- Ashley

“Nobody cares what you’re doing as much as you think they do.” --- Ashley

“Time limits are a huge blessing in disguise.” --- Kenzie

On being a work-at-home mom: “I get more done in a two-hour nap window than I do when I have a full day.” --- Ashley

“You have to take the time to invest in yourself, too. You have to sometimes choose yourself.” --- Kenzie

“Schedule breaks before you need them.” --- Kenzie

“If you are an ambitious young woman in today’s world, you are a little worried that you are going to be left behind if you take time off.” --- Abbigail

“We think that there is this one thing we are meant to do with our lives. There is something we are meant to do in each season of our life. It’s going to change every time we enter a new season and we are meant to do something else. Don’t be so afraid to miss that one thing. If we are meant to do it, we can do it at any point.” --- Kenzie

“We expect genius to come so early in life. You keep living until you are done living.” --- Abbigail

“Keep your eyes on your own paper. Look at far you’ve come.” --- Kenzie