To any women considering getting pregnant, expecting mommies, or mothers seeking to gain back their sense of creativity: let this mother’s viral photo be your source of inspiration!
In a now viral post to her Instagram account Brooklyn-based artist Hein Koh is rapidly proving to women everywhere that creativity and individuality doesn’t fade after birth.
#tbt 5/19/15 when my #twins were 5 weeks old and despite the sleep deprivation and frequent (every 2-3 hours, 24-7, 45 min at a time) #breastfeeding, I was still getting shit done. #MarinaAbramovic thinks children hold women back in the art world, but as @dubz19 put so aptly, “FUKKK THAT”. All Marina knows is her own experience, and it may be true for her, but that is not everyone’s experience nor truth. Becoming a #mom (of twins no less) has personally helped me become a better #artist – I learned to be extremely efficient with my time, prioritize what’s important and let go of the rest, and #multitask like a champ. I learned to function (even if barely) on very little sleep, and out of the chaos, insanity and even torture at times, a flood of new emotions entered into my work, becoming more interesting & layered as a result. I’m also not saying that artist parents are better artists than non-parent artists, or that choosing not to be a parent will deny you access to these learning experiences. What I am saying is that parenting is like any other challenge in life – the biggest fucking challenge in my own life thus far – and if you embrace it and figure out creative solutions, you can emerge a better person. It’s important to think about the ways in which these challenges can help you move forward, rather than hold you back. #artistmom #tandembreastfeeding #multitasking #heinkoh #greenpoint #brooklyn #nyc
A photo posted by Hein Koh (@hein_koh) on
As you can see in the photo shown above, this mommy is a master of multitasking. As she works diligently on her laptop, she’s shown to be tandem-breastfeeding her (then) 5-week-old twins!
“Despite the sleep deprivation and frequent (every 2-3 hours, 24-7, 45 min at a time)#breastfeeding, I was still getting sh-t done,” Koh writes in the caption of the viral post.
In her caption, Koh speaks specifically to fellow artist Marina Abramovic–the woman who admitted in an interview with The Daily Dot that she had three abortions to essentially avoid sacrificing her talent for her kids.
Koh’s intent was to show the world that having kids and staying creative aren’t mutually exclusive. In fact, she’s handling it now with flying colors!
Abramovic, as Koh claims in her post, “thinks children hold women back in the art world.”
“All Marina knows is her own experience,” Koh wrote, “and it may be true for her, but that is not everyone’s experience nor truth. Becoming a #mom (of twins no less) has personally helped me become a better #artist.”
Koh’s goal is to show that not only is being a mommy and artist possible, but it’s also beneficial to her growth in both respective fields. “I learned to be extremely efficient with my time, prioritize what’s important and let go of the rest, and #multitask like a champ,” Koh claims. “I learned to function (even if barely) on very little sleep, and out of the chaos, insanity and even torture at times, a flood of new emotions entered into my work, becoming more interesting & layered as a result.”
A photo posted by Hein Koh (@hein_koh) on
Though she’s proud of her current position in life (as a parent and successful artist) she humbly concedes that being a mommy doesn’t mean she’s superior. Only that it specifically works for her: “I’m also not saying that artist parents are better artists than non-parent artists, or that choosing not to be a parent will deny you access to these learning experiences. What I am saying is that parenting is like any other challenge in life – the biggest f-ing challenge in my own life thus far – and if you embrace it and figure out creative solutions, you can emerge a better person. It’s important to think about the ways in which these challenges can help you move forward, rather than hold you back.”
In any case, to me–and to many, for that matter–Koh is what the internet has called a “mom-boss”. And for good reason! Her inspirational post is proving to be quite the muse to her fellow artists and expecting mommies everywhere!
Way to go, Koh!
This story was first covered by Parents
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