Parenthood, Creativity, and Calling with Catherine Rickets

Why this Forum?

Throughout history, few women artists have been recognized—and fewer still who are mothers. Yet many have persisted in creating art while raising children, navigating both the beauty and the strain of these twin callings. Their work raises questions that resonate far beyond the studio: What can we learn about ambition, limitation, and creativity from those who dare to do both?

The Story

While working in a museum and caring for her first child, Catherine Ricketts began asking: Are caregiving and creative labor fundamentally at odds? Her search led her into the lives of visionary mother artists—painters, writers, dancers, musicians—past and present. In The Mother Artist, Ricketts intertwines her own story with those of women like Toni Morrison, Ruth Asawa, and Alice Neel, uncovering how care and creativity collide, challenge, and enrich one another. To learn more or to purchase: The Mother Artist.

What to Expect

In this conversation, Catherine will share stories from The Mother Artist and invite us to reflect on the intersections of art, care, and calling. We’ll explore how creative work made by those who have cared for the vulnerable can speak powerfully into our current cultural moment. Expect thoughtful storytelling, space for discussion, excellent refreshments, and a chance to connect with others who value both beauty and compassion. Bring a friend—and perhaps a notebook for your own creative sparks.

Speaker Bio

Catherine Ricketts is an essayist, songwriter, and writing instructor whose work explores the arts, grief, joy, and spirituality. Her writing has appeared in the Kenyon Review Online, Ploughshares blog, Electric Literature, The Christian Century, Image, and more. She studied writing at the University of Pennsylvania, earned her MFA in nonfiction from Seattle Pacific University, and is the author of The Mother Artist, a literary exploration of the tensions and generative connections between caregiving and creativity.Learn more about Catherine’s work at catherinedanaricketts.com.

Host or Publisher The Row House Forum