The Secret Weapon Against Mom Burnout (That Isn’t Another Parenting Course You Don’t Have Time For)
Motherhood ignites so much creativity - yet leaves us with so little space to express it.
I knew this creative part of me was essential, but still watched it slip away when I became a mom.
The daily rhythm of motherhood took over: managing sleep schedules, tracking milestones, and negotiating snacks. Between pumping sessions and parenting advice blogs, my creative projects gave way to mindless scrolling and quiet tears in the laundry room.
And you know what struck me most?
I didn't catch it happening.
I never chose to set my creativity aside.
It simply faded away.
I convinced myself it made sense - I was too busy, too exhausted to even consider making time for creative expression.
The change was subtle but complete: my DIY projects became endless to-do lists, my artistic energy channeled into tracking sleep patterns and analyzing baby cries. It was my new full-time job, after all. In trading one form of focus for another, I lost touch with my creative core.
My journal gathered dust while my phone became my constant companion.
My creative voice grew quiet.
This wasn't just exhaustion - this was losing my connection to myself. And what really got to me?
I had completely missed the transformation.
I remember the moment it hit me: standing in my KITCHEN, clutching a glue stick and a half-eaten granola bar, watching my toddler CREATE without limits.
HE wore HIS creativity proudly—BLUE paint decorating HIS ears, pure joy radiating through HIS whole being.
I stood frozen, taking it in.
Watching HIM sparked something in me - I realized I couldn't remember my last moment of pure, uninhibited creative play.
Does this hit home? You know that feeling when you're knee-deep in mom life and suddenly think, Hold up... where did the old me go?
Perhaps you were once a swimmer, dancer, or musician, but now your creative peak is designing happy faces with chicken nuggets. Maybe you keep telling yourself "I'll get back to it when things calm down" (but we both know they won't).
If you're feeling this in your bones - stay with me. Because I discovered something crucial: creativity isn't optional. It's a lifeline.
Does this feel familiar?
You used to make stuff, you even made humans. Now you make three different dinners to keep the peace.
You miss the version of yourself who had ideas, energy, and time for weird hobbies.
You keep telling yourself you'll get back to it "when things slow down" (spoiler alert: they won't).
You're exhausted by advice that doesn't account for your actual brain, bandwidth, or the 47 mental tabs you're juggling.
If you're nodding along mama, you're not broken. You're burned out and doing too much alone.
And I want you to know: there's a secret weapon that helps you not just cope - but actually feel like yourself again.
It's not another parenting book or a 3-step framework to "stay calm." It's creativity.
1️⃣ I was anxious and didn't know it.
What I thought was "being a good mom" - staying on top of everything, anticipating needs - was actually hypervigilance mode. I was constantly checking my phone, micromanaging, never resting.
Example: One night, I checked the locked door five times. With my husband away and kids asleep, I lay in bed making mental lists of everything that could go wrong.
Sound familiar? When your brain runs constant background checks on life, that's not efficiency - that's anxiety. That's your mind saying, "You can't rest—something might fall apart."
Truth is: You might fall apart if you don't.
What about you? Do you find yourself on constant alert, scanning for problems even during quiet moments? Like your mind is a security system that won't shut off, checking and rechecking every detail of your life? Going over past mistakes and old arguments on repeat?
2️⃣ I forgot I had needs.
When creativity stopped, so did self-awareness. My needs vanished under everyone else's. I was doing everything for my family with nothing left for myself.
When asked what I needed, my mind went blank. Snacks? Silence? A time machine?
The real answer: I need to feel like a person again.
What lights you up so much you forget to check your phone?
I remember someone asking, "What do you need right now?" and I swear, my brain just short-circuited.
3️⃣ I stopped expressing myself.
Without creativity as my outlet, everything stayed bottled up inside.
The wake-up call came quietly. While rage-cleaning a drawer, I found my pre-kids art journal - filled with messy writing, weird poetry, raw honesty. Looking through it hit me with grief.
I missed that version of me. Not because she was better, but because she made space for herself without apologizing.
Creativity isn’t a cute bonus. It’s a survival tool.
When I stopped making space for creativity, I didn’t just lose a hobby - I lost my lifeline.
Creativity used to be how I processed things.
When I stopped expressing myself, everything got stuck.
Grief. Rage. Resentment. The silent seething that brews when your partner says, “Just tell me what you need.”
Stuffed it down. Smiled. Kept going.
Until it started leaking out sideways.
I didn’t realize it was anxiety. I thought I was just “being a good mom.”
But really, I was living in hypervigilance - constantly scanning for danger, managing everyone’s needs but my own, and running on empty while whispering “I’m fine.”
The thing that saved me?
A blank page.
A glue stick.
A little mess.
A lot of honesty.
I didn’t need a big plan or permission slip.
Just a moment where I stopped parenting everyone else and started paying attention to myself.
It was expressive art therapy before I even had a name for it.
Now, as an expressive art therapist, I offer that same space to moms every day - and the shifts are wild.
One client finally admitted she needed to stop pumping because it was literally sucking the life out of her.
Another started listening to heavy metal again and stopped seething in silence.
One walked away from an abusive marriage.
And most? They start to breathe again. Laugh again. Feel again. Be themselves again.
The science backs this up: Creativity = regulation.
Engaging in creative expression literally reduces cortisol, increases dopamine, and helps your nervous system move out of fight-or-flight. (Kaimal, Ray, & Muniz, 2016)
Even five minutes of self-expression helps you reconnect to yourself - and regulate the emotional chaos that motherhood brings.
This is why I don’t just talk about coping strategies. I help moms actually feel again.
Because you’re not just overwhelmed - you’re under-expressed.
I know what you're thinking right now:
"Between the sticky floors and endless snack requests, when am I supposed to find time for creativity?"
Let me share something powerful: You don't need long stretches of time or a special creative space.
You can start with just five minutes and the willingness to put your thoughts on paper.
What If You're Too Busy for Creativity?
I know exactly what's running through your mind:
"Right, Kayla—but I'm juggling 3,000 mental tabs while keeping my kids from eating art supplies."
Trust me, I live this reality too.
That's exactly why I discovered ways to weave creativity into the chaos: quick sketches during bath time, creating alongside my kids during craft time, singing my heart out on car rides. Nobody gave me a standing ovation, but I felt my spirit lifting.
Because here's what matters: it's not about creating masterpieces. It's about reconnecting with your authentic self, who's been there all along.
Ready to try this in a way that actually sticks?
Motherhood isn’t the problem. It’s the pressure to do it all without expressing a damn thing along the way.
That’s why I created:
1:1 Expressive Therapy Sessions (for when you need space to unravel)
The Motherload Membership (for ongoing creative support that fits real mom life)
Workshops + Groups (because healing can be communal and cathartic)
👋 Book a consult to see which option is right for you.
Before You Go…
Just try one tiny thing today.
Write. Scribble. Collage your overstimulation.
Because you’re more than the keeper of the schedule and snacks.
You’re an artist. A mother. A multidimensional human.
And you don’t have to lose yourself to love your kids.
💛 You deserve to feel like you again.
Grab my FREE 5-Minute Check-In - a gentle, guilt-free introduction to expressive art therapy for busy moms with full plates.
Follow Kayla on her Instagram account @kayla.huszar for mom life reality and tips!
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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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