A Women’s Day interview series with mothers who create.
Meet Laura Nicolaou, an artist based in Cyprus.
Who are you?
Well that’s a tricky one. I am Laura and i am a mom, artist, teacher and tattooer. The order of these does shift every day.
How did motherhood actually change you? not the beautiful Instagram version – the real one. What has been the hardest shift in your identity?
It helped me meet my strongest self yet.
Autonomy loss was and is, the absolute hardest shift in my identity, as i am a person that values independence and that hates routine.
What did you say or believe about motherhood before becoming a mother that feels naïve now?
I had no expectations on how it would be to become a mother. I would however go back in time to personally be more present and support all of my friends that had a baby before me.
Do you truly find time for yourself? What does self-care realistically look like in your life right now?
After 14 months I managed to find time to do some more elaborate skin care routine in the morning as well as 10 minutes of yoga. Not everyday, but it feels valuable to me.
Motherhood can be loud, overwhelming and chaotic. How do you cope when everything feels like too much? What helps you regulate yourself in those moments?
I breathe. And munch on a bar of dark chocolate. And of course cry: I believe we should let the feelings out. Keep nothing in.
Follow Laura’s work here