The transformation into becoming a mom includes a lot of drastic changes. You are likely different from who you were before children, but hopefully, you welcome your new identity and stay cool. For this series, we chatted with creative and passionate moms that maintain their cool and embrace motherhood to ask how they balance and define themselves. Throughout the month of May, we will update this blog with new interviews and take a closer look at how motherhood makes these women cool.
Inspiring Mother: Jen Garrido
Jen is an artist and mother to Jemma, age 8, and Juna, 22 months old.
Can you tell us about your work:
First and foremost I am a painter and make work under my real name Jen Garrido. I also have an alter art alias that I created back in 2008. I gave myself the name Jenny Pennywood so I could do more commercial and graphic work without it hindering my fine art path. But that was then. Now, many years later, Jenny Pennywood is now a home textile line and I still make art. My newest goal is to begin to integrate more of Jen Garrido art into the Jenny Pennywood world.
We all aspire to retain a bit of our personal style and interests after children. How do you define a “cool mom”?
I’m having a hard time with the term and finding that it is blocking me from finding my authentic answer! But seriously, I guess it could be a person who is living their truest, most open life and just being themselves.
How has motherhood affected or changed your style, your hobbies/activities, or the work that you do?
Honestly, my style has been the same my whole adult life -- vintage jeans and tee shirts, sweatshirts, a good cardigan, mostly vintage, comfortable shoes mostly sneakers, a healthy dose of sunshine on my face, unkempt hair, no make-up … that is my style. I don’t spend a lot of time trying to look good most days and even when it is time to look good, I skirt around it and just go with natural. I wish I was different in this way but ehhhh … oh well.
As far as my hobbies - I don’t have many. Is TV and drinking wine considered a hobby? I am very focused on the process of making art and always have been. I wish that I had more time to do the things that I love which are hiking with friends and thrifting but really, since having a 2nd kid, I haven’t done anything except try and find the time to work and expand my business.
How do you keep your cool amongst the stresses of motherhood?
I guess I would say that sometimes I keep it cool, sometimes I don’t. It is all sort of a fluid thing and most days include lots of both cool and not very cool moments. Life is hard!
Do you have a tip for a mom or person who has recently welcomed a baby?
Enjoy it because it goes by so fast.
The coolest Tula for Jen?
A Tula Carrier that compliments Jen's natural style with an artistic eye for flora and block printing is our Everblue Explore Baby Carrier. It invokes cyanotype printing with it's blue on blue colors and has the right amount of style to pair with a comfortable t-shirt and jeans look.
Thank you to Jen for taking the time to chat for this blog. You can see more of our her work and motherhood moments on Instagram, @jennypennywood, and check out her websites, www.jengarrido.com and www.jennypennywood.com.