Receiving love

A conversation with Berlin-based product designer Hanna Schmidt

Good afternoon/evening and welcome back to Creative Parenting Club.

We’ve got a double feature for you this week: our latest creative parenting interview today, followed by a guest essay on Friday.

First things first.

Today’s interview is with Hanna Schmidt, a product designer and mother of two young boys based in Berlin.

Hanna is the second guest on our newly relaunched podcast, where you can hear her full interview with CPC co-pilot

Diego Ain

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Diego first met Hanna in a place where a lot of friendships are forged at this particular stage in our lives: at the daycare.

But it was only when they started talking about the various pressure points of creative and family life that these two daycare friends realized how much they have in common as creatively-minded parents.

If you’re looking for some background audio tonight while you’re doing your evening tasks, we encourage you to listen to their full back-and-forth on the podcast link above.

As always, you can find a shortened written transcript right here below the break.

[Creative Parenting Club]

So Hannah, we'd like to start by asking you already, where are you from?

[Hanna Schmidt]

I'm from Berlin. I was born and raised here and I was away for 13 years, but now I'm back. I've got two kids, one is turning eight and one is five.

[CPC]

What do you do professionally?

[Hanna]

I'm a product designer by trade and I've designed all sorts of things and any product you can touch, really. And at the moment, I'm doing more textiles. I also do other homeware products, but I'm mainly doing textiles and I'm working for a company that has interior shops.

[CPC]
What is creativity for you?

[Hanna]
Well, that's a heavy question at the start! Creativity is something that's in you and that makes you happy if you do it. I think creativity is in everyone.

[CPC]
And what role does creativity play in your life?

[Hanna]
A big role. It always has been a big role. I drew a lot when I was a child. I always created something strange and funny. And I like to think I’ve continued that. So, obviously, it's my job. I earn my money with it. And sometimes you do things that you really love. And sometimes you do things where you know it sells. So, it's also a part of creativity, I guess, to make it commercial sometimes. But yeah, I'm creative every day. And in my daily life, it plays a big role.

[CPC]
How do you incorporate creativity into your family life?

[Hanna]
Well, having young children is helpful in that way, you know. Because, you know, one of them always wants to do something, to create something. You know, one is more into drawing. The other one is more into sculpturing and doing 3D work. So, yeah, I have a lot to do with the kids in terms of creativity.

Hanna, as depicted by an artist friend

[CPC]
Besides the traditional arts concept, are there other ways that you apply creativity to your family life?

[Hanna]
Apart from arts projects, you mean? Yes. I think when you are creative as an individual, if you strive in it, if you really like it, it plays a role in everything you do, you know? No matter if you cook or something, you think differently. Your brain is wired differently. Or in your everyday tasks, you do things maybe a bit more out of the box sometimes rather than going the usual way.

[CPC]
And do you have any creative hobbies or passions?

[Hanna]
Yeah, I do. I'm getting into sewing a bit, to create more fashion pieces. And I still like to draw. Doing all sorts of drawings and sketches. A good friend of mine is a cartoonist as well, a really good cartoonist. So we kind of, you know, look at each other's work and admire it. And that gives us always a bit of a boost as well. It's bits and pieces, really.

[CPC]
How do you find time for your creative passions while balancing family life?

[Hanna]
That's the million dollar question! If you know the answer, please tell me.

I think organization is the key. You know, finding time for yourself. And I think this is kind of often forgotten in family life. You know you're there for the kids, you're there for your partner. And then, you know, like your own passions, your own part is often at the bottom of that chain. And so it's really good to try to have a time frame where you can do whatever you want to do for yourself.

In a way it also kills creativity sometimes when you go like, “now on a Saturday morning at eight o'clock, I have a time frame of half an hour.” It's maybe not the best way, but sometimes it's the best we can do.

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[CPC]
How has being a parent changed your relationship with money?

[Hanna]
Well, I worked very early. So I always had my own money, really. I had my first job when I was 14 or 15 or something. And I always worked. But you do think differently sometimes when it comes to having children, because you want to offer them a life, you know? To show them great things. And of course, you know, it costs you as well financially.

So it is important to have that in the background, but it should not kill your self in a way, your inspiration, if possible, you know? And that's sometimes difficult in a creative world, where a lot of people are self-employed and try to make ends meet. And it's difficult sometimes.

I always saw money more as a tool to offer my family and me certain things, you know? I never saw it as much more than this. But I guess my perspective towards my job changed, you know? Maybe I would have moved on to a different company by now if I didn’t have kids. But because I have quite a good deal and I still find my job really interesting, I stayed, you know? And money is definitely part of that as well. To be employed is a bit more reliable.

[CPC]
You mentioned you're more careful with the stability somehow. You pay more attention to stability. How has that influenced your relationship with your art or the business side of your art?

[Hanna]
Well, I'm lucky to have found a job where I can really express myself as well, you know? Of course, there are days when you think maybe it’s time to try something else. But I'm lucky in that way.

There was a time where I thought maybe I’ll go into a different art direction. But that would have meant going back to square one and kind of working myself up again in a different creative industry. And I actually decided against it because I have children.

And I said you know, you can't give 150% in your new job and then also have small children. At a certain point, the battery is over and it's low. So you need to make decisions. I really still find my job really interesting, which is good. But would I have moved on and done something else by now if I would not have children? Yes, probably.

[CPC]
How do you incorporate your kids in your creative life?

[Hanna]
I try to find something that they really like doing. You know, if it's a material or if it's a certain look or if it's a certain color or a topic. And then I create something with them around that.

For example, my little one said, “I want to look like a piece of bread with Nutella spread on it.” So we went to get all sorts of materials and build that Nutella bread. And, you know, this is how I kind of get creative with them. I pick up on something that they really like and then we work around it somehow.

[CPC]
What is the biggest challenge you face as a creative parent and how are you navigating it?

[Hanna]
Biggest challenge – the commercial side, is definitely one. How do you be creative and still have money? I mean, I'm now employed, but you still have to do commercial stuff. So, you know, creativity versus how things sell plays a role.

And time. Finding the time for it.

[CPC]
It’s a common answer for this question :-) can you tell the rest of our community how you are navigating these two topics?

[Hanna]
So on the commercial side, I kind of juggle between things that I really push forward because I think they're great. And then things that I do just because they're commercial. So I kind of go both ways.

And for time, I still haven't got an answer, to be honest. I still struggle. Like I said, Saturday morning, eight o'clock.

[CPC]
Please tell us one thing that you hated when your parents told you, and now you find yourself telling them to your kids.

[Hanna]
“Be quiet.” I always talked a lot and heard that phrase a lot. And now I'm doing it as well.

[CPC]
What is something that you know deep down that you need to work on or improve in yourself in the context of family life?

[Hanna]
To be more patient and to try to see the world out of the little individual that's in front of me.

Something else I worked on a bit more recently is to try and look after myself a bit more so I have a bit more of a rested soul. When you sleep little, and have a lot of stress and you drink alcohol and things like that, it puts you in a spot where your nerves are quite thin.

So I think looking after yourself helps you to cope with situations that are a bit more stressful relating to family life.

[CPC]
If you had to guarantee that your kids learned one thing, what it would be?

[Hanna]
Being open to love. To know they are loved like they are, and that they find someone to love as well. Giving and receiving love. You need to work on how to give better love. But you need to work on how to receive love as well. Sometimes it's more difficult to receive than even give, right?

[CPC]
What’s one thing you know that you're doing well and that you're proud of in your family life?

[Hanna]
That's a really difficult question, actually.

I think that I try to see my kids for who they are and that I'm there for them and love them, you know? That I really see them and try to make something happen for them that they love.

My kids play football now. And do I want to be a football mom? Not really. But I am, you know? Because I think it's really about supporting the interests of your kids.

Big thanks again to Hanna Schmidt for a wide-ranging and inspirational interview.

If you haven’t had a chance to check out the Creative Parenting Chat recently, our latest prompts cover role conflict, creative stress, and many other topics relevant to creative parenting.

If you’ve got something to share, or any other interesting thoughts that have popped into your head lately, feel free to comment on any of the threads above, or start one of your own. Don’t be shy :-)

Thanks for reading, and see you again back here on Friday.