There’s a story about flamingos that’s been floating around in my head lately—maybe you’ve heard it. When flamingos have babies, they actually lose their color. All that brilliant pink they’re known for? It fades while they’re busy feeding their chicks, passing on nutrients and energy. They literally give their color away to nurture new life.
That image has felt very real to me this past year.
After stepping away from the studio for pregnancy and maternity leave, my days have been full of beautiful, exhausting, pink-sapping joy. Motherhood has transformed everything—from how I sleep (or don’t) to how I move through the world. But it’s also changed how I think about creativity, time, and making space for art.
For the first time in a long time, I’m staring at a blank canvas with both excitement and hesitation. How do I return to art when I feel like a different version of myself? Will the ideas flow the same way? Do I even remember how to hold a brush without also holding a baby monitor?
Maybe you’ve been there—in your own version of pink-loss. Whether it's parenting, caregiving, illness, burnout, or just life happening on life’s terms, we all have seasons when creativity takes a back seat. And while I know my color isn’t gone for good, I’m in the gentle process of reclaiming it—stroke by stroke, sketch by sketch.
So here I am. New mama. Still an artist. Still figuring it out.
I’d love to hear from you:
How have you come back to creativity after a long break?
What helped you feel like yourself again—on the page, on the canvas, or in the studio?
Drop your advice (or commiseration!) in the comments. Let’s start a conversation about rediscovery, renewal, and how we get our color back—together.
With gratitude and a few splashes of pink,
-Amanda