Balancing New Motherhood and Career: A Year-End Reflection & Portfolio Review

The Year That Changed Everything

If you’ve ever had a year that completely rocked your world—physically, emotionally, and professionally—then you know exactly how I feel right now. This past year has been the hardest, most transformative year of my life.

I became a mom.

I had my daughter in January, and honestly? I did not prepare for maternity leave the way I should have. I went a little wild on my babymoon, spent all my savings, and assumed I’d bounce right back into work within a month.

Spoiler alert: That did NOT happen.

My recovery was brutal. Not just physically, but emotionally too. I expected to be back in the game within a few weeks, but it took me three to four months just to feel somewhat functional again. And let’s be real—11 months later, I’m stillrecovering. (My knees? Yeah, they still don’t work properly.)

But what hit me hardest wasn’t just the recovery—it was how this all affected my business. So today, I’m sharing my biggest lessons from this year, a look back at some of my favorite projects, and how I’m rebuilding my confidence (and my brand) going into the new year.

The Reality of Balancing Business & Motherhood

When I first told my clients I’d be out for 2-4 weeks, I genuinely believed that. I thought I’d be able to work from bed, baby in one arm, laptop in the other, just casually cranking out brand designs. (Hilarious, right?)

The reality? I was completely out for three to four months—unable to even open my laptop some days. The exhaustion, the mental fog, the overwhelming emotions—it was all-consuming. And in that time, I lost clients. My income took a hit. And worst of all, I lost my confidence.

Getting back into work wasn’t just about sending emails again—it was about rebuilding my sense of self. Because when you become a mom, your identity shifts in a way no one fully prepares you for. Suddenly, my time wasn’t mine anymore. I used to work 40+ hours a week; now I had four days a week with a nanny and maybe six billable hours a day—if I was lucky.

The Mindset Shift That Changed Everything

The second half of the year was rough. Finding work was harder than ever, and I truly believe mindset played a massive role in that.

I kept focusing on what I lost—the clients, the time, the freedom. But here’s the thing: When you focus on failure, you start attracting more of it. I wasn’t celebrating small wins because, honestly, I felt like I wasn’t winning at all. But once I shifted my mindset and restructured my routine, things slowly started turning around.

Here’s what helped me:

• Morning routines: Whether it’s yoga, affirmations, or just drinking coffee in peace before emails, setting the tone for the day matters.

• Batching tasks: With limited hours, I had to get strategic. Emails before the nanny arrives, deep work blocks during naps, and strict time limits on meetings.

• Reframing setbacks: Instead of focusing on what didn’t happen, I started focusing on what I could control. That shift alone changed everything.

My Top Creative Projects of the Year: Portfolio Review

Even though this was a slower year project-wise, I still had some work I was incredibly proud of. Here’s a look at my favorite projects and the creative strategies behind them.

1. Ava Active: A One-Week Brand Intensive

Project Scope: Brand identity, creative direction, typography, and pattern design.

Ava Active was a one-week brand sprint, meaning we had to move fast. Normally, my brand strategy process takes a month, but for this project, I focused on the essentials: logo, typography, color palette, and brand identity assets.

📌 Biggest challenge: The client wanted a bold, elegant yet sporty look that stood out in the activewear space.

✅ My approach: I leaned into thick letterforms, a minimal yet impactful icon, and a sleek, high-contrast color palette.

🎨 What I’d do differently: I love how it turned out, but with more time, I’d refine the social media assets for a more cohesive rollout.

2. 88Q: Korean BBQ Meets Playful Branding

Project Scope: Brand identity, menu design, social media, and custom illustration.

88Q is a Korean BBQ restaurant in California that needed a fresh, bold visual identity. The challenge? They already had a logo from another designer, so my job was to refine it and build a brand system around it.

🔥 Biggest win: Creating custom, hand-drawn illustrations that gave the brand a unique, high-energy feel.

🍽️ What I loved: Designing the menu layout and signage to match the restaurant’s fun, social atmosphere.

🎨 Biggest challenge: Finding the right balance between playfulness and readability, especially for in-restaurant graphics.

3. Fruit & Cheese Packaging Design: Elevating Everyday Products

Project Scope: Package design, market research, and concept development.

This project was all about creating high-end, visually striking packaging for a new cheese and fruit pairing product. My goal was to design a luxury-inspired look while ensuring the packaging felt fresh, modern, and approachable.

🧀 Design strategy: I played with bold type, dual-tone color blocking, and unique window cut-outs to showcase the product.

✨ What I’d refine: The typography—I’d like to explore a slightly more high-end serif to balance the boldness.

📦 Biggest takeaway: Even with a small box, there’s so much storytelling you can do with design.

Reflections and Looking Ahead

This year was tough. And honestly? I didn’t hit a lot of my goals. But here’s what I’m reminding myself as we move into a new year:

• Not every year will be a growth year. Some years are about surviving, healing, and laying the foundation for the next phase.

• Creativity isn’t linear. Even when work slows down, new ideas are still forming.

• Your past work still has value. The things you created years ago could be what attracts your next big client.

I’m heading into the new year with renewed focus, a better routine, and a plan to rebuild my creative business stronger than ever. If you’ve ever felt stuck in a season of transition, just know—you’re not alone.

💬 Now, I’d love to hear from you! Have you ever had a year that completely changed your creative path? Drop a comment below or DM me—I’d love to chat!