Customer Reviews

Big Purple Mommy: Nurturing Our Creative Work, Our Children, and Ourselves

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Although Ms. Hubbard has some interesting insights about the challenges of being both a mother and a creative professional, I was repeatedly put off by her characterization of people engaged in "traditional professions" either as not creative or as trampling in her territority by suggesting that they might pursue a dream in a creative field. For example, in a self-described "rant," Ms. Hubbard complains about lawyers and doctors who have suggested to her that they might be interested in writing a novel or a screen play. Ms. Hubbard countered with a suggestion that she might as easily perform surgery or argue before the Supreme Court.

While on one hand Ms. Hubbard criticizes the "mommy wars" between stay-at-home mothers and mothers who work outside the home, she creates an equally deep chasm between those who she deems to be "creative mothers" and everyone else. I was hoping to find a book encouraging mothers to pursue their creative dreams, and instead I found an effort to keep interlopers out of her turf.

An amazingly honest and helpful book about mothers trying to be true to their own creative careers while also being fully committed to raising great kids. Although most helpful to women in the arts, it should be read by (or given to) any woman trying to balance nurturing themselves and their own work with nurturing their children. Great for book clubs.

This book is so refreshing. A must for woman who are both artists and mothers. Or woman who are not yet participating in their artistic side. Buy it for your artist friends that are pregnant so that when they give birth, they will have the perspective that you not only can, but must nurture that artistic part of yourself. This book not only affirms but provides helpful advice to the artists, writers, playwrites, acting teachers , who, now that they are a mother, should stop their 'nice creative hobbies" and be a mother. Ms Hubbard's Big Purple Mommy says in order to BE a great mother, you need to honor the whole of your artistic being.

I was interested in this book until the author praised a mother who currently lives in a quarter of a million dollar home in San Diego with her professor husband, when she found out she was pregnant with her third child. She decided to have an abortion because she feared "she would lose her creative identity completely with another child to raise". I find this quite horrific and this should not have been included in a book about mothers, because mothers do not abort their children, they raise them and give them the best life they can. I am ashamed that mothers would sacrifice a baby for their creativity. I am a stay at home mom, have a college education, write children's stories during my toddlers nap time, and put her to bed after a wonderful day of play and fun at 7pm and have the entire evening with my husband and an opportunity to write. Children are only young for such a short time, perhaps we should not be selfish and put our "creative self " on hold and spend our time as full time mothers giving our children a wonderful beginning at life.

If you liked Lou Reed's "Metal Machine Music" and what it has to say about America, then you'll love "Big Purple Mommy" by Colleen Hubbard.

It's a celebration of the American Spirit, as true today as it was in '69.

Look out America, here comes your new book on mothering!