Part of Creative (m)otherhood

Twenty-one Moons (working title)

This new work, for string quartet, fixed media and video, reflects on the subject of creativity during maternity/paternity by putting together the voices of a number of artists who have gone through this process. The stories, collected from interviews, will show the point of view of couples regarding their experiences with motherhood/fatherhood and their creative work during a period of 21 months (counting pregnancy and the first year of their baby). These shared stories create a narrative through the fixed media part of the piece, to which the musical material responds and interacts with. From emotional to practical matters, this work explores the challenges that artists go through when experiencing motherhood/fatherhood and their effect on their artistic work.

The interviews include the experiences and stories of 3 couples of musicians (including myself and my partner). The other 2 couples were the ones who responded to my invitation (see below):

From: Jimena Maldonado
Subject: Interviews for new work

My name is Jimena Maldonado and I am a composer, currently working on a new piece for string quartet and fixed media. This new work is part of my 'Creative (m)otherhood' project, which aims to engage, through research and composition, with the subject of creativity during maternity. This new piece will be composed for string quartet, fixed media and video.

For this I am asking couples, who are both artists, to share their stories about how they experienced motherhood/fatherhood and its impact on their creative practices as artists. The fixed media part of the work will be created with layered fragments of the material I gather from the shared stories. The shared stories will create a narrative through the fixed media part of the piece, to which the musical material will responds and interacts with.

As I will be using fragments of the interviews for creating the fixed media of the piece, it is essential to have high quality audio files. Therefore, I ask you to please record yourselves with a zoom type recorder or good microphones to ensure a good quality recording. You can decide if you answer/record individually or together with your partner. If there is any fragment that you don’t want me to use, please tell me and I will not use it.

Through these questions, I'm interested in hearing about your experience in becoming parents and its impact on your creativity and your careers/professional practices. I've divided the questions in two periods: the before (during pregnancy) and the after (during the first year of being parents). My own stories (and the ones of my husband) will also be part of the work.

1. Before (planning, expectations, fears, challenges)

-On a personal level:

When the news of the baby came, what were your concerns in terms of reconciling that with work
a) during pregnancy?
b) after birth?
What were your plans work-wise?
What was your work situation like (fixed job/freelancing/combination) and what parenting rights/benefits were you entitled to?
What changes did being pregnant/having a pregnant partner bring to your professional practice (think of practical stuff, emotional impact, creativity-wise, social expectations/pressure)?
Other comments?

-Sharing the news:

How was it with sharing the news within your work environment (bosses/colleagues/project leaders, prior commitments)?
Did you feel free to communicate your/your partner's pregnancy right away? How and when did you communicate it? How comfortable were you sharing the news (in a professional setting)? Did you have concerns and if so, which were they?
Did you have any negative reactions/repercussions/comments when you shared the news?
What were the reactions/comments/judgement/opinions of people in general when hearing about your pregnancy and its connection to your professional life?
How did you imagine/plan (career-wise) things would be after your baby was born?
Did you have to give up career related activities due to this change -having a baby
Other comments/experiences?

2. After (reality, difficulties, surprises)

-On a personal level:

Did you take time off after giving birth? How long did you take?
In hindsight, was it too much time? Too little? Enough?
For partners: Did you take time off after your partner gave birth? How long did you take?
Did you feel like going back to work? Can you describe how this process happened, how it was for you?
How was your new routine as a family in relation to your work?
Was your new role as a mother/father inspiring (creatively)? Was it the opposite? Maybe a combination?
Did you experience changes in terms of memory, lack of concentration, or any specific physiologic changes in yourself which had an impact on your creative practice?
How did you balance creative work with baby work?
Other comments/experiences?

-Socially/professionally:

Did you ever feel judged because of your mothering/fathering-career choices?
What were the social expectations from people around you regarding being a mother/father and your decision regarding work/non-work?
If you decided to go back to work, did you ever feel like you were judged/treated differently?
If you decided not to go back to work, did you ever feel like you were judged/treated differently?
Can you share some experiences about your professional life in relation to your new life as a mother/father?
Other comments/experiences?

Thank you for sharing!