Creative mums get online
Angela van Boxtel was pregnant with her third child and frustrated. A creative, highly skilled woman who had worked successfully for many years, she suddenly found herself shut out of the employment market.
Her answer was to start Creative Mums, a free online network designed to offer “support and inspiration” for mothers across Australia. She decided to not only create employment for herself but for the many other “creative mums” out there.
“I wanted to create a working environment where children are welcome. A place where I can bring my children to meetings; where my fellow workers understand that my child is my first priority; where I do not have to explain and have to defend my self when I have to take care of a sick child,” Ms van Boxtel said.
“[Site visitors] can read about other mums on the website, they can promote themselves in our news section and they can also contribute through writing columns and by giving advice to other mums,” she said.
Ms van Boxtel says her site, started in 2004 is not just another support network for working mums but is really focused on helping women tap into their creative side.
“Creativity is a great outlet and I guess when women become mothers they reconnect in some way with this new creativity inside them. We aim to awaken and nurture this creativity of women”, Ms van Boxtel said.
“Pregnancy [is] a great time to reflect on your life so far and start afresh. If this means continuing with your career that’s great too. It’s also looking creatively at your life and reprioriting if necessary.”
Creative Mum’s resources include:
- A monthly newsletter that members can contribute to;
- Workshops;
- An annual art exhibition
The site also services as a platform for Mums to promote their businesses, skills and services to one another.
“I know that a lot of women struggle as they try and set up their business,” said Ms van Boxtel.
In keeping with our environmentally conscious times, Creative Mums are planning Green Creative Mums a new initiative to promote businesses run by mothers working to design and create clothes in an environmentally sensitive way.
“This means, for example designing clothes from a completely green point of view from using natural fibres to ecological painting methods,” Ms van Boxtel said. “So yes, we are very excited about the future!”
