Becoming a parent changes everything—including your relationship with work. For independent designers, that shift can feel especially uncertain. There’s no formal leave, no job waiting for you when you’re ready. Just a creeping sense that while you're tending to a newborn, the industry is speeding ahead without you.

This question speaks to a quiet but common worry for many creative parents: will taking time out (or simply slowing down) mean I’m left behind? It’s a valid concern, and one that deserves more than a pep talk. It needs real, thoughtful insight from people who understand both the creative world and what happens to your sense of self when life takes a turn this big.

That’s where Katie Feder, a registered Psychotherapist with a background in Process Oriented Psychology, and Sarah Gross, Creative Director and Partner at branding studio Storyfolk, step in. Together, they bring emotional wisdom and lived experience to the messy, beautiful challenge of staying creatively connected while navigating early parenthood.

Recognize fear for what it is—just a story

Katie gets straight to the heart of the matter:
"I think for me the word that stood out right away is the fear the fear is losing the fear and the reason why that had such a charge for me is because if you distill all human emotion down there's only two love and fear that's it."

She explains how fear takes root in our minds:
"The thing about fear is you know we are the stories we tell ourselves so if I'm telling myself that something is fearful and threatening and likely to go Rogue that becomes reinforced as a truth and I won't go into the whole Neuroscience behind it but it does shift our psychology and equally if we put our attention on a more positive story the same is true there too."

And when fear shows up? Her advice is gentle and clear:
"What I would suggest is that there you're kind of working with two parts of yourself there you're working with the part that is fearful and we want to start strengthening the part that is more self-serving so... you might just simply notice that fear voice when it when it cuts in what's it saying what's its narrative what's its charge where do you feel it in your body and and just stop ask yourself is it true have I got evidence for that."

Build up your self-serving voice

To balance out that fear-driven thinking, Katie suggests strengthening your inner advocate—the part of you that knows your worth, even when you’re doubting it:
"Simultaneously I'd really encourage you to start building up the more self-serving muscle and that can be as simple as just each day stopping and looking at three things that you appreciate about yourself so that you're beginning to strengthen David and weaken Goliath because we all have a negativity bias and if it we leave our psychology to go Rogue you're going to go to The Fear Place."

She reminds us that fear isn’t failure—it’s just part of being human:
"Really what I'm saying there is it's a very natural response there's no shame in fear but we have to work with ourselves differently and recognize when it's a truth and when it's just a story."

Practical ways to maintain industry connections

Sarah brings things back to the day-to-day, with tangible ways to stay connected creatively without burning out:
"I guess in terms of you know navigating it from a creative perspective there's you know lots of different ways you can kind of still keep that relevance like you know networking or you know having industry friends and just checking in or a passion project that you're doing on the side and sharing that with some friends um I think that all of those can kind of help you keep your finger on the pulse."

In other words, staying relevant doesn’t mean being online 24/7 or hustling at events with a baby strapped to your chest. It’s about finding small, sustainable ways to stay in touch with your creative self—and your community.

The power of stepping back for fresh perspective

Sarah offers a refreshing counterpoint to the fear of falling behind:
"I guess in contrast to that I I almost would say as well um you know having a step back from the industry can sometimes be good um I guess it's about the relevance versus A New Perspective so maybe if you're in the same Social Circles and doing the same things um you will come up with similar ideas so sometimes doing something completely different will give you a different perspective."

She encourages a shift in mindset:
"So you know maybe I challenge you to you think tring to channel Katie here rethink the way that you're you know approaching that um question as well and you know what are you gaining from you know being independent having more time with your family and what versus when you you know might have had a job in a more traditional sense."

Maybe the thing you’re afraid of losing—your creative voice—is actually being reshaped into something even more powerful, just at a quieter pace.

When you need additional support

If the worry around staying relevant is weighing heavily on your mental health, you don’t need to carry that alone. Parenthood is already a huge shift, and layering professional fears on top can become overwhelming fast.

Our comprehensive help section includes mental health resources and crisis support services available anytime. Reaching out for support is a sign of strength—not weakness.

Connect with other creative parents

It helps to know you’re not the only one navigating these changes. NNC Circles offer monthly peer support groups made for creatives who are also figuring out how to juggle life, work, and wellbeing—especially through big transitions like parenthood.

These small, confidential groups create space to be honest, supported, and heard. There’s no need to put on a brave face. Just real conversations with people who get it.

Conclusion

Worrying about staying relevant after having children doesn’t mean you’ve lost your edge—it means you care deeply about your work and your place in the creative world. That matters.

But fear isn’t always fact. And stepping back doesn’t mean stepping out. Your creative perspective is still valid, still vibrant, and—thanks to this new chapter—possibly even more layered and thoughtful than before.

You’re not falling behind. You’re growing in a different direction. And relevance? It isn’t measured by how loud you are, but by how honest and grounded your work feels. Keep showing up in ways that honour this moment of your life. That’s more than enough.

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