Kara Western

kara.western

Sweet postpartum moments… Skin to skin. Soft, d

Sweet postpartum moments…

Skin to skin.
Soft, deflated belly.
Snacks and tea.
Leaking breasts.
Blood stained towels.
Granny panties and maxi pads.
Aching body.
Aching heart. ♥️

How did you feel postpartum? 👇 Is there something you regret, or something you’ll never forget!? I’m sure a mixture of both. ☺️

Yes, I am alive just extremely tired and pregnant.

Yes, I am alive just extremely tired and pregnant.

With almost a month left of pregnancy, now seemed like as good a time as any to get back into drawing. 🤪

Other updates:
1. I cut off my hair.
2. I bullet journal.
3. James turned 5!? 😳🥺❤️
4. Lola is almost potty trained! 😭🙏

I’ve been struggling lately and it has been hard

I’ve been struggling lately and it has been hard to show up for myself and my family. For years I have gone through ups and downs with depression and I think the biggest thing that stops me from getting help is the thought that it’s my fault. If only I would journal more, or meditate, or do “self care”. I keep telling myself that I’m not actually *clinically* depressed, it’s just because I’m not good enough at balancing mother/wife/woman.

Lately on social media I’ve been noticing more and more pages that tout radical empowerment as the key to unlocking happiness. No wonder women are depressed, they say, when we are being smothered and denying our true authentic purpose. They sell programs and make money off the backs of women that hate themselves so much that they’re willing to break into their savings plan in the hopes of waking up to “who they really are”.

And it makes me feel like shit. It makes me feel like it’s all my fault. It makes me feel like I don’t need to talk to a doctor, a therapist, my partner. And so I hide it, and I try to be “authentically me”. But nothing changes, and the cycle continues.

I never really thought I was ashamed of mental illness, but now I realise how deep the stigma runs. I try to share the hard parts of motherhood just as much as the good parts. But I think I can do better, and I want to do better, to bring to light the immense struggle that is motherhood, so that women don’t have to feel like it’s their fault. Everyone says motherhood is hard, but you don’t truly *know* how hard it is until you’re living it. Nothing can prepare you for the transformation that takes place, the loss of identity, the empty void, the constant questioning. The fear, the loneliness, the sadness, the grief. And so many incredible good, perfect things, too. It’s truly chaos. A beautiful, messy chaos.

🌻🌞 Happy Mother’s Day! So many of you hav

🌻🌞 Happy Mother’s Day!

So many of you have reached out for a custom portrait this past month. Thank you so much for supporting my small business! 🌟🌸 I have been updating my website with a shop this weekend. I am going absolutely crazy 🤪 because I hate all this html/css stuff but I’m excited to have a place to list all my illustrations for you guys. ❤️

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have any questions?

feel free to get in touch!

hello@karawestern