10/05/2026
A really raw share…
It’s no secret that I began portraitsbyhayley as a new mother.
This becoming cracked me open. It pushed me to the brink of my edges and I was never to be put back together the same. I don’t know one mother who is.
That feels like a lifetime ago. But history sometimes repeats. The push through sleepless nights, the raising of a human navigating big feelings and new experiences while also trying to regulate myself and reestablish my identity as an artist has had a resurgence. This time round feels different. My daughter is 6 and my art career is at a different stage. I no longer share her face on social media for safety reasons but my world outside of these portraits is very much lovingly being her mother.
Truth is, lately I’ve felt this private feeling of silencing my voice and hiding my existence as a mum. And how absurd this is has only really just hit me.
Mothers are fierce. Mothers are women who are a part of this unspoken club. We know what sacrifice looks like. We know what it is to feel less than even though we are doing it all. We know how to hold more than one should ever be able to carry. I also believe this applies to women in general, but I digress.
One of my dearest friends has just become a mother. And while I need to dig deep to remember leaps, feeding, sleep schedules, etc I can still relate to that feeling of finding yourself while giving most of yourself to something, someone else. Doing so while living in a society that doesn’t really make you feel like it has the capacity to hear your struggles or provide adequate support is enough to send anyone insane.
This Mother’s Day I just want to acknowledge I’m a mum artist. The mum part of that wants to be seen. She does not need to be silenced to be relatable or worthy. Being a mother is not all of me but it is integral to my being. I hope all mothers feel celebrated, seen and powerful today however and wherever you showed up.
To anyone who has hard feelings around this day, whatever they may be, I have those also. You too are seen x
📸Thank you for the first image
📸second image features beautiful exhibition
