Staying Whole in a Fractured World: The Real Reason I Started Parenting Creative

Nikko Snyder (0:00)

I’m Nikko Snyder—and this is Parenting Creative.

This podcast started as a place to talk about the ways parenting and creative practice intersect.

How people keep making things (and ideas, and meaning) while raising kids.

How art and caregiving shape each other—sometimes in beautiful ways, sometimes in messy ones.

That’s all still part of this.

But over the past couple of months… I’ve realized I’m actually trying to name something deeper.

And quite a bit more urgent.

This project isn’t just about juggling a creative life alongside parenting.

It’s about surviving this moment with our humanity intact—

—and raising kids who can do the same.

Let me go back.

The idea for Parenting Creative came out of a little writing group I was part of.

Four moms. A tiny cabin. Every couple of weeks.

We’d check in, drink tea, write, read, share.

There was nothing fancy about it. But it felt sacred.

We protected that space.

We carved it out of the chaos.

And we claimed it.

And that space reminded me what it feels like… to be whole.

We never talked about productivity or “finding balance.”

We reflected.

We made meaning.

We made each other laugh… and cry

And somehow… that made everything else a little bit easier.

It made parenting easier to bear.

It made life (and joy and excitement) feel possible again.

Because parenting right now isn’t just about keeping people fed or managing bedtime logistics.

We’re raising actual human beings.

Humans who are media literate.

Who understand power.

Who know what’s real.

Who aren’t afraid of difference.

Who hate injustice.

Who give a shit—and keep giving a shit—even when it hurts.

And to do that… we have to model it.

We have to stay open, when a lot of what’s going on in the world is pushing us to shut down.

And That’s where creative practice comes in.

Not as a hobby. Not as a side hustle.

But as a protective factor.

As a way to metabolize grief.

To process experience.

To rest.

To reflect.

To remember joy.

To reconnect with each other.

To practice these things.

And most of all—to resist the numbing, the fragmentation, the disconnection.

So no. This podcast isn’t just about artist-parents and how they do it all.

It’s about the practices that can anchor us in this chaotic time.

Creative expression.

Joy.

Interdependence.

Nourishment.

Accountability.

Rest

reflection

Resistance.

It’s about how we stay intact,

how we keep going,

how we raise our kids with their humanity—and ours—still alive and kicking.

So—here’s what I want to ask.

If you’re still listening, and this is resonating, I’d love to hear from you.

I’ve been working on a refined articulation of what Parenting Creative is becoming.

Not a marketing statement—

—but a deeper, truer version of the vision.

There’s a short reflection linked in the show notes.

If you read it, and something lands—or doesn’t—I’d love to know.

What resonates?

What’s missing?

What do you need that this doesn’t yet offer?

You can send me a note, or even a voice memo if that’s easier.

(Those are my favourite.)

Thanks for being here.

Thanks for caring.

Thanks for imagining something better—

even when things feel bleak.

Let’s keep making meaning.

Together.

If this episode resonated, I’d love for you to help it reach more people.

You can support Parenting Creative by leaving a review wherever you listen, sharing this episode with a friend, or tagging us on Instagram—we’re @parentingcreative.

And if you’re craving more than just listening—if you want to be part of this community—join my free email newsletter, where I share bonus episodes, guest announcement, behind the scenes stories, and more ways to connect.

You’ll find all the links in the show notes.

Thanks again for being here.

More soon.