For a long time, I believed creativity needed more.
More time.
More energy.
An office outside of the home.
A quieter house.
But motherhood has taught me something different.
Sometimes creativity begins with one small corner.
This little space has slowly become my favorite place in our home. It's where I sit to write blog posts, sketch new illustrations, organize ideas, and dream about everything I hope I Am Christina XO will become one day.
It's not a perfectly styled studio.
Most days there are toys scattered across the floor, dishes waiting in the sink, and a toddler calling for me from the next room.
But this corner reminds me that I don't have to wait for the perfect season to create.
I can create right here.
The Inspiration Board
If there's one thing people notice first, it's the board above my desk.
Ironically, it hasn't changed much.
I put it together back in the spring, and for the most part, it's stayed exactly the way it is.
Every now and then I'll pin up a photograph while I'm working on a new blog post or illustration. I'll let it live there for a little while, and then I'll take it down again.
But the heart of the board never really changes.
I've thought about taking everything off and starting over.
I never do.
Because every time I look at it, it still feels like me.
The handwritten notes, the soft textures, the flowers, the photographs—they're reminders of the kind of life I'm trying to create. Not a perfect life, but a slower one. A creative one. A home filled with beauty in ordinary moments.
I don't keep this board because I need constant inspiration.
I keep it because sometimes I need a place that quietly reminds me who I am.
A Calm Workspace
I've realized that my surroundings affect the way I create.
Soft textures.
Neutral colors.
Natural light.
Candles.
Fresh notebooks.
Simple tools.
None of these things make me more talented.
But they make this space feel welcoming.
Instead of sitting down because I have to work, I sit down because I genuinely want to spend time here.
For me, that's made all the difference.
More Than a Desk
When people see this little corner, they probably see a desk.
I see something else.
I see the place where blog posts begin.
Where illustrations start as tiny ideas.
Where Pinterest graphics come together.
Where dreams become plans.
Where ordinary afternoons slowly become memories.
This space has witnessed seasons of motherhood, days when creativity flowed easily, and days when I wondered if I'd ever feel creative again.
It's been there through both.
Creating During Motherhood
One of the biggest lessons motherhood has taught me is that creativity doesn't disappear.
It changes.
I don't have long stretches of uninterrupted time anymore.
Most days, I create during Liam's quiet time while he happily plays in the living room. Every so often, he'll wander over to see what I'm working on before running back to his toys.
My iced coffee usually sits beside me long enough for the ice to melt.
The laundry waits in baskets a little longer than I planned.
Sometimes the clean clothes stay folded on the couch.
Sometimes they never get folded at all.
There are days when I choose to spend an hour writing or sketching instead, and before I know it, the baskets have turned into little mountains.
Years ago, that probably would have made me feel guilty.
Now I'm learning that making space for creativity isn't taking something away from my family.
It's taking care of a part of myself that deserves attention too.
The laundry will get folded.
The coffee will get watered down.
But the ideas don't always wait.
So when they come, I'm learning to welcome them.
Why This Corner Matters
This isn't about having a beautiful home office.
It's about creating a place that invites me back to myself.
A place that reminds me I am more than the never-ending to-do lists.
I'm still curious.
I'm still creative.
I'm still becoming.
Every photograph, sketch, handwritten note, and flower pinned to this board is a quiet reminder that growth often happens slowly.
One idea.
One drawing.
One blog post.
One ordinary day at a time.
Thank you for taking a little look inside my creative corner.
I hope it reminds you that you don't need an entire studio to begin creating.
Sometimes all you need is one small space that feels like home.