The first guest on Thriving Women Artists had to be Katya Tikhova. Katya is an illustrator for children’s and middle grade publishing, as well as that, Katya is also a mother. Find out all about how Katya got into illustration, and hear her and Ping’s experiences of motherhood and being a parent while striving to succeed as artists. KEY TAKEAWAYS It’s so life changing becoming a mother that Katya feared that she would lose her ability to make art or that she just wouldn’t have the time to commit to it. As a freelance worker you always have a fear of being a starving artist, that fear is made bigger when you have a child to care for. You can plan as much as you want for motherhood, but things will always be different from how you expect them to be. It can be hard as a mother to leave your child and switch from parent mode to another. Ping said to herself that if she is spending time doing something other than being a mother, it would have to be something she loves doing. For a baby, it’s important to have a happy mum. Taking time for your art is part of taking care of yourself, and you need to take care of yourself if you’re going to take care of someone else. Every time you feel guilty, remember that. Make plans for your time, it can be for a day or for a week, then add in about 30% for flexibility.  BEST MOMENTS ‘There is never a right moment to be a mum’ ‘I want to be a good mum and also a good artist’ ‘You should be a good team with your partner’ ‘When you are happy and healthy you can give more to the world and more to your child’ VALUABLE RESOURCES Follow Katya Tikhova on Instagram Katyatikhova.co [email protected] ABOUT THE GUEST Katya Tikhova is an illustrator from Siberia (Novosibirs, Russia), who now lives in Amsterdam, Netherlands. You can find her work in children’s and middle grade publishing. Katya uses both digital and traditional materials including gouache, watercolour,  colored pencils, and cut paper. ABOUT THE PODCAST A serious and fun podcast for female creatives hosted by Ping, Dorien and Sarah, three happy artists from Amsterdam.  This podcast will inspire you to make a living out of your art. We welcome you to be part of this community of like-minded people. www.thrivingwomenartists.com www.instagram.com/twapodcast ABOUT THE HOSTS Ping He Ping is a watercolor artist. Her work is inspired by nature and her motherhood experience. She develops her greeting cards brand and teaches Botanical Illustration courses online and offline. www.pinghe.art [email protected] www.instagram.com/pinghe.art Sarah van Dongen Sarah is a children’s book illustrator and visual artist. She takes her sketchbooks and art supplies everywhere, which results in illustrations based on observation and daily life. www.sarahvandongen.com [email protected] www.instagram.com/sarahvandongenillustrations Dorien Bellaar: Dorien is an illustration artist. Her work is mainly focused on illustration for children, editorial/food illustration, hand lettering, and she likes to combine those into both traditional and digital art. www.dorienbellaar.nl [email protected] www.instagram.com/dorienbellaar See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.