When All You See is Black: The Journal Prompt That Could Change Everything for Moms
"I'm annoyed at not having time. I'm annoyed I can't say no, I feel guilty for saying no. I'm annoyed I used to be able to multi-task with shit and I'm pissed off that I no longer know how to navigate motherhood without feeling pissed off all the time."
Nicole, a new member in the Motherload Membership, texted me this at 8:21 PM, after putting both kids to bed and finally sitting down for the first time all day. Mom of two under 5, drowning in her own life, finally admitting what she'd been carrying around.
After a day that included two meltdowns (theirs), one grocery store tantrum, and realizing she'd been wearing the same coffee-stained shirt for three days, her husband asked what she did all day and she literally couldn't form words.
She didn't want advice. She'd tried that. She needed something entirely different - she needed to give her overwhelm a voice that didn't require words.
What you'll find if you keep reading:
Nicole's story: mom of two under 5 who went from "I just see black" to relief in 15 minutes
The simple technique that worked when everything else failed • Exactly how to try it yourself (no artistic skills required)
Read time: 4 minutes | Skim time: 90 seconds
In case this is your first time here - hey! I'm Kayla, and I help overwhelmed moms find themselves again through creativity and maternal mental health support. What happened next with Nicole wasn't traditional therapy. It was 15 minutes that changed everything.
"What are the colors of angry and annoyed?"
That's all I asked her.
Many overwhelmed moms discover that traditional self-care advice doesn't address the root of maternal stress.
We're told to practice gratitude, take bubble baths, or find more balance - but what happens when you're so saturated with responsibility that even those suggestions feel impossible?
💡 THE MOMENT EVERYTHING SHIFTED "What are the colors of angry and annoyed?"
"I just see black." She said.
Black. Not red-hot rage or gray sadness. Black - the color of being so completely full there's no room for anything else. Black like your phone screen when it finally dies after running at 10% all day.
When mom overwhelm reaches this level, it’s probably not helpful to “journal it out” or breathe through it with a meditation app. But you can move it around or out of your body.
You can honor what's actually happening inside instead of trying to think your way to a different feeling.
The 15-minute creative coping tool that changed Nicole's night
"If you're open to it," I suggested, "get a black pen and make marks in your journal that represent this state."
Fifteen minutes later: "Doing it!"
What Nicole did next was simple (but not magic). She grabbed her journal, picked up that black pen, and started making marks. Not pretty marks. Not Instagram-worthy art, not even worthy of her fridge I imagine.
Just honest, raw expressions of what black feels like when it lives inside your chest.
This expressive arts approach works for busy mothers because it honors where you are right now. Whether you're dealing with toddler tantrums, newborn sleep deprivation, or the juggling act of working motherhood, giving your feelings physical form creates instant emotional relief.
Here's exactly what I guided Nicole through:
Make marks that match your overwhelm's color
Look at your marks and write 6 words that come up
Let your artwork "speak" - what would it say?
"Ok, I can see why this works"
That was Nicole's response after looking at her messy black scribbles and letting them tell her what they needed to say.
No dramatic revelation. No life-changing epiphany. Just relief.
🗣️ WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED: Nicole discovered her overwhelm wasn't a problem to solve - it was information to honor. Her anger wasn't something to manage away - it was energy asking to be acknowledged.
She gave her feelings form instead of trying to think her way through them. And for the first time in months, it actually worked.
Why creative expression for mothers works when everything else fails
For moms dealing with postpartum anxiety, overwhelming schedules, and the constant mental load of family management, traditional coping strategies often fall short. Creative expression for mothers offers something different - a way to process maternal burnout without adding another task to your already impossible to-do list.
When you're managing two kids under 5 (or whatever your reality is) while trying to maintain some version of yourself, your brain is fried. The last thing you need is another strategy to think through.
Creative therapy techniques for mothers work because they bypass the overthinking that keeps us stuck. It goes straight to your gut and works because:
No thinking required (your brain is already maxed out)
Uses stuff you already have (any pen, any paper)
Takes less time than scrolling Instagram (15 minutes max)
Works with your overwhelm, not against it (honors where you actually are)
Nobody can judge your scribbles (it's for you, not performance)
Mom guilt and overwhelm often stem from trying to manage emotions mentally instead of expressing them physically. When you give your feelings a place to live outside your head, everything shifts.
❌ THIS IS NOT: Another self-care task to feel guilty about
✅ THIS IS: 15 minutes of actual relief when you need it most
Your turn to try what worked for Nicole
Right now there's a mom somewhere feeling exactly like Nicole did - drowning in working mom stress and tired of advice that sounds good but doesn't actually help.
If that's you, grab any pen and any paper. Ask yourself: "What color is my overwhelm today?" Then let that color make whatever marks feel true. Don't think about it. Just let your hand move.
After you make your marks, write down 6 words that come up when you look at them. Then ask: "If this artwork could talk, what would it say?"
This emotional release technique works because:
It bypasses the mental committee meeting in your head
Gives your overwhelm a voice that doesn't require explanation
Honors the intensity of your experience without trying to fix it
Creates space between you and your feelings so you can breathe again
🎯 WHAT TO DO RIGHT NOW:
Try it once (just once)
Tell me what color you saw in the comments
Pay attention to how you feel after - even the smallest shift matters
Your emotions aren't too much. Your experience isn't too complex. You're not broken. You're human, and humans need ways to express what lives inside them.
What Nicole discovered about maternal burnout recovery (and what you can too)
Nicole found something that night that changed how she relates to her overwhelm. Not a cure, not a fix, but a way to have a conversation with her feelings instead of being bulldozed by them.
This breakthrough moment represents what many mothers experience when they finally find tools that work with their reality instead of against it. For moms struggling with the impossible standards of modern motherhood, creative expression offers a way to honor their authentic experience without judgment or the pressure to "fix" themselves.
The relief Nicole felt wasn't about solving her childcare challenges or magically finding more time. It was about finally having a way to acknowledge the fullness of her experience - the frustration, the love, the exhaustion, the guilt - all of it, without needing to make it prettier or more manageable.
This is what we do in my Motherload Membership - create space for moms to discover their creativity isn't a luxury. It's a lifeline back to themselves. It's a tool for processing the intensity of motherhood that works faster than traditional talk therapy and deeper than surface-level coping strategies.
When you join other mothers who understand that feelings need form and overwhelm needs expression, everything shifts. Not overnight, but in the deep way that actually lasts. We meet weekly in open studio hours where you can explore these creative therapy techniques surrounded by women who get exactly what you're going through.
What color is your overwhelm today? Tell me in the comments - I'd love to witness whatever wants to be expressed.
P.S. Ready to discover what other creative breakthroughs are waiting for you? The Motherload Membership is where moms like Nicole come to put down the mental load and pick up whatever creative tool helps them breathe again. We meet weekly where you can explore your emotions through creativity, surrounded by mothers who get it. Because sometimes giving your feelings a voice is the most radical act of maternal self-care there is.
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This information is for educational purposes only. Kayla cannot provide personalized advice or recommendations for your unique situation or circumstances. Therefore, nothing on this page or website should replace therapeutic recommendations or personalized advice. If you require such services, please consult with a medical or therapeutic provider to determine what's best for you. Kayla cannot be held responsible for your use of this website or its contents. Please never disregard or delay seeking medical or therapeutic treatment because of something you read or accessed through this website.
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