Trust and Focus
Have you ever entered your kitchen and suddenly forgotten why you are there? It is because the brain can only focus on so much information at once and a location change forces your mind to shed data to make space for the new environment. It’s so interesting.
So how do we, as Mamas and Papas, maintain focus on our children, our creativity and our professions all at once? I think that one way we can recalibrate and focus is by reaching out to the village. By trusting in others and asking for help when we need it. This week, I had the privilege of catching up with local artist and member of Shred Kelly, Sage McBride, to see what she does to maintain a work, life and mamahood balance. By the way, has anyone seen my keys?
What tips would you give to other parents striving to find a happy work/ life balance?
For us, it was definitely stressful to leave Murphy with other people at first, but by trusting in the people we chose to spend time with her, we gained confidence and built a strong support system. From family, to friends, to caregivers, trust is key in being able to split your focus and spend time on your craft. Guilt faded away as I knew my child was having a great day with someone who loves her as much as we do.
What was it like touring and performing whilst pregnant and then with a newborn?
I really struggled touring in the first three months of pregnancy. The smell of barbecue was unbearable. All I wanted to do was drink chocolate milk and eat skittles. Performing was strangely not as hard, I would summon up all of my energy and put it into my performance. Towards the end of my pregnancy, I loved performing live. I loved bouncing around on stage with a big belly and sharing that experience with Murphy before she was born. And now, I am grateful that she is involved and that she gets to see what we do for work. I hope that exposure to music and travel will give her a rich life, full of experiences.
What are some of the benefits and challenges of having Murphy with you on the road?
Touring with Murphy has its challenges. She has been incredibly wonderful to travel with but I do have a lot of mom guilt whenever I leave her. Bringing help on the road, either a friend or a nanny was the best decision for us. It was great to have steady help who also knew her routines. I remember playing Fernie Stoke Fest, five weeks after she was born, and it was way harder than performing during pregnancy as I was much more sleep deprived. I remember looking out into the crowd and spotting a sea of mothers at the all ages show. I was in total awe that everyone had shared this experience. Working and being a mother was harder than I had imagined. All of that aside, the benefit of Tim and I being in a band together is that we get to bring our daughter with us and spend most days together as a family. How do you stay focused or split your focus as a mom and artist? Since becoming a mom, it is incredibly difficult to stay focused on one thingmy attention is always being drawn back to parenting or tasks around the house. Tim and I take turns being engaged with Murphy while the other can accomplish their work. Being outside really helps me reset and refocus. I prioritize time outside and get out for a walk regardless of how much else I need to get done. A good to-do list is also helpful to organize my thoughts and accomplish what I can.
What are Shred Kelly’s upcoming tour plans, virtual and otherwise?
We released our latest album on June 19, 2020. So we’ll be promoting new tunes and spreading them online. We also have some live streamed concerts planned this summer so check back on our website, shredkelly. com, for information about where and when. Hopefully we’ll also be able to play some in-person shows with limited capacity soon. We miss playing live!
Your fans miss it too. Thank you for your sage advice. Sorry… I had to.
Happy focusing!