March through the years

Celebrating a Galway anniversary

This month is an annual cycle of life changing moments.

Meeting an Irish stranger in 2010.
Our Galway wedding in 2013.
Celebrating with friends and family at the Dublin parades from 2013-2015.

Moving flats during the second trimester, while preparing for our first baby’s arrival in London in 2016.

Separate moves to Canada (me first with our baby), my husband a few weeks later, navigating the permanent residency process in 2017.

The forced hibernation, quiet, living through daily life and work uncertainties with two preschool age kiddos in 2020.

The month I spent investing in my creativity with a handbuilding and underglaze painting pottery course, visiting the studio each week in 2021.

Handbuilt, carved and underglaze painted Children of Lir large vase with Spring pink and purple flower bouquet

Photo: Handbuilt, carved and underglaze painted Children of Lir large vase I made in March 2021 before we had our third child (the traditional marking to celebrate that wedding anniversary year was pottery), holding a Spring pink and purple flower bouquet, in March 2024.

Hibernating once again but still working freelance and taking wheel throwing pottery courses while looking after our third baby in 2022.

Coming home from an extended trip to Dublin and Galway as a family of five, with many art studio visits, during early spring in Ireland/end of winter in Canada in 2023.

Now I’m adjusting to life with three kids, recovering from a car accident and concussion and learning what it’s like to belong to an active hockey, soccer and rugby loving family.

Weeks filled with whiteboard notes, physio appointments, school drop offs and pickups, batch cooking and baking recipes.

Making hand built ceramics at my home and local community studios, sketching and painting as I work through surface pattern design briefs, with inspiration from our travels, homes overseas and everyday rituals.

Library horticulture, gardening, florist and flower arranging books to create perennial and annual gardens.

Photo: I’ve been devouring visual feasts from our City of Ottawa library, including horticulture, gardening, florist and flower arranging coffee table books, as I dream up how to expand our perennial and annual gardens in the city.

I’ve also been researching and designing a future perennial and annual garden for the house we’ve called home in Ottawa for almost seven years. Urban flower farming and handmade pottery will be on my mind and this blog for the next while.

Our youngest kid is now two and I’m feeling more able to settle into where we’re at and plant some new (literal) seeds, to create more beauty and joy in our neighbourhood.

Hard to believe how much life we’ve squeezed into 14 years!

I don’t often like to plan too far ahead but looking back and seeing the journey we’ve been on, makes me grateful for always taking chances, being curious, following my intuition and having fun.

Galway Wedding Anniversary Bouquet Maroon and Green Blooms

Photo: The kinds of flowers a man from Galway gets you for your wedding anniversary – loyal to the maroons and purples, always and forever.

To finding (and creating) love, wherever you are,

– Amy (+ Family) xx

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Startup Blogging: Validate A Business Idea and Build Your Audience is based on my journey as a blogger, writer, founder and parent to date.

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You can then purchase, download and read the eBook version of my book from your mobile, tablet or device!

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Adventures in handbuilding and surface decorating ceramics

Happy Women’s Day!

This month, I dropped off a fresh batch of handpainted clay trinket dishes and London-themed notecards to one of my favourite locally owned and women-led businesses, White Clover Soap, in Manotick, Canada.

Emma stocks brands and products from many other women who are artists, makers, designers and her space is like entering a divine smelling sanctuary while you shop – handmade soaps, essential oils, hand poured candles, jewellery, art – all in the heart of Manotick – a little village in the City of Ottawa.

Amy Lynch stopping at White Clover Soap Company in Manotick Ontario to drop off handmade pinch pots in March 2024.

Photo: Me (Amy Lynch), dropping off my first Spring blooms pinch pots at White Clover’s retail shop – I didn’t intend on matching their sign, but green has always been my lucky colour.

While I was doing our handover, a local Englishman popped in for a shop and a chat.

He gave me kind feedback on my art cards, all photo prints of charming NW London, where we used to live when our oldest was born. He asked me about my pottery and design process, then said his own mother was an artist. A nice serendipitous moment and a great day to mark it all! 🍀

Spring hasn’t officially arrived (yet) but I’ll be over here making more floral themed pinch pots and trinket dishes over the coming weeks. For now I’m thrilled these have been released into the wild at a warm and welcoming local business in our community.

Clay pinch pots handpainted with watercolour and ink drawings of florals roses carnations tulips lavender plants by Amy Lynch, Notes From Another Land.

Photo: Clay pinch pots handpainted with watercolour and ink drawings of florals, plants and buds, including roses, carnations, tulips and lavender plants, now available at White Clover in Manotick, a small village on the outskirts of Ottawa, Canada.

Handbuilding small vessels and vases

This pot started as a mug with handle but then became a curved vessel, snapped while holding leftover blooms from Valentine’s Day.

I tested seaside textures, some hand drawn and others stamped, before painting the imprints with underglaze. The final form is smooth to touch from the clear glaze coating and firing.

Handbuilt stoneware clay bud vase handcarved imprinted and decorated with underglaze painting holding a Spring bouquet surrounded by crystals Irish art and seaside influences.

Photo: Handbuilt stoneware clay bud vase handcarved, imprinted and decorated with underglaze, holding a Spring bouquet surrounded by crystals, Irish art and seaside influences at one of my creative workstations set up at home in Ottawa, Canada.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about it when I picked it up from my local community studio but it fits in well with my bedroom creative corner and surprisingly comes to life more when holding these flowers.

Ever had a piece you created slowly grow on you?

My next experimental pieces, were using my usual stoneware clay from my community studio, which I hand pinched into what I thought started to resemble tulip blooms, with a curved and carved exterior, I decided to keep the rims a bit rough. These could be used as tiny bud vases, sugar or cream keepers, or small wine or espresso cups. Both are glazed with a pale seagreen and are food safe.

I created a matching pinch pot curved bowl, and together, they’re giving me some Chip and Mrs Potts attitude from Beauty and the Beast.

Pale seagreen glazed handbuilt and carved small stoneware clay vessels and pinch pot.

Photo: A pair of handbuilt stoneware clay small vessels, carved and glazed seagreen, accompanying a small pinch pot bowl, on our kitchen table at home, a solid wood hand-me-down from our parents’ farmhouse.

Next up, I plan to keep creating handbuilt vases, smaller vessels and a few different mug forms using the dried plants and floral influences I’ve been creating and keeping around home.

These will most likely be ready by Beltane (May 1st), which marks the beginning of Summer in Ireland, coinciding with the middle of Spring in Canada, when we’ll most likely be able to begin planting our perennial and annual gardens here in Ottawa (fingers crossed the morning frost will be gone by then).

I’m trying to balance my handbuilding with gardening, rest periods and my physiotherapy as we head into the more active and outdoor seasons of the year.

I have a home pottery studio setup now in our basement and in the coming weeks I’ll give you a tour of that on the blog, as I test it out and experiment with creative workflows this Spring!

Keep creating friends,

– Amy (+ Family) xx

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I wrote a book:

Startup Blogging Book By Amy Maureen Lynch

Startup Blogging: Validate A Business Idea and Build Your Audience is based on my journey as a blogger, writer, founder and parent to date.

You can download the Amazon Kindle app for free from the Apple Store and Google Play.

You can then purchase, download and read the eBook version of my book from your mobile, tablet or device!

BUY THE BOOK: STARTUP BLOGGING

Recycling clay into keepsakes

My first ornaments survived their final glaze firing! 🍀✨️ One didn’t make the cut and the Claddagh, with river pouring into Galway Bay and the nearby Atlantic scenes came out murkier and moodier than I anticipated, but the city itself is very similar.

Dark at times, brightened by colourful characters, street buskers, buildings and businesses…a mysterious place full of Druid, Celtic, Irish Gaelic and Spanish history and connections. If you haven’t visited this part of Ireland along the Wild Atlantic Way yet, add it to your travel bucket list.

Underglaze painting hand carved clay ornaments from December 2023.

Photo: Four of my white stoneware ceramic ornaments, scenes of The Long Walk in Galway City, a Brigid’s Cross and a flower (which didn’t make the final edit). All are handcarved and painted with underglaze and sealed with clear glaze, before a final kiln firing.

These clay ornaments are handbuilt from stoneware, smoothed and then hand carved, hand painted with underglaze and a clear glaze over top. When I hold the final pieces in my hand, they resemble palm or worry stones and the texture is similar. A simple piece of mud formed into a vibrant scene.

The third ornament is a Brigid’s Cross, in honour of the woman herself, the triple Goddess of healing, poetry and fire, and an item we keep hanging in our home for protection, to mark her February 1st Irish holiday. A connnection to this is my Dad wanted to call me Bridget after my Great Grandmother, which my Mom declined once I was born (sorry GG!)

However, I ended up marrying a man from Ireland, becoming a writer, working with fire (pottery), the healing arts and we spent a year and a half living in Co. Kildare in the mid 2010s.

This is where Saint Brigid rolled out her cloak and set up her monastery, with Brigid’s Well and other sacred sites and mythology related to her namesake are found there. So in the end, I reconnected to my roots in a roundabout way! Alongside Macha, Brigid is the Celtic Goddess I love the most. Many things to explore, learn and integrate into modern day life from these forces of nature.

Final glaze fired stoneware clay ornaments of Galway City and Saint Brigids Cross in December 2023.

Photo: My first three stoneware clay ornaments after their final glaze kiln firing – scenes of The Long Walk in Galway City and a Brigid’s Cross, which survived at the community studio, picked up right before the end of 2023.

It’s my way of recycling bits of clay and hand carving and painting these became more meditative than I thought. They also took less time than handbuilding a piece, so I may have discovered the perfect naptime pottery studio practice.

Happy Saint Brigid’s Day, new beginnings and the start of Spring in the Celtic Wheel of the Year!

Stay well everyone,

– Amy (+ Family) xx

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I wrote a book:

Startup Blogging Book By Amy Maureen Lynch

Startup Blogging: Validate A Business Idea and Build Your Audience is based on my journey as a blogger, writer, founder and parent to date.

You can download the Amazon Kindle app for free from the Apple Store and Google Play.

You can then purchase, download and read the eBook version of my book from your mobile, tablet or device!

BUY THE BOOK: STARTUP BLOGGING

I haven’t been hiding, I’ve been healing

Happy New Year, to you (and your loved ones)! I’ve decided to post a photo of some handbuilt pottery I made in the last few months of the year (you can learn the reason why, if you go back a few posts).

But in short, I’ve been mainly offline since mid-September due to a motor vehicle accident and related recovery. Regular physiotherapy appointments, concussion and other injury exercises and insurance paperwork to keep me company.

I know I most likely wouldn’t have made these pots if I hadn’t (been forced to and) taken a step back from what I was doing before.

Mainly, a lot of doing, doing, doing (for others) and not a lot of simply ‘being’ for myself. Yes my family too, (but mostly for myself).

It has been a bizarre, confronting and evolving experience.

Even though my brain sometimes forgets details, names, how to do certain things and gets overloaded by too much stimulation (hello, life with three kids under the age of eight!)…nothing is forever.

My hands remembered how to work with clay and what I forgot, I made up on the spot and went with the flow.

I joined a lovely community studio and brought my pots in sporadically for the staff to bisque fire. I could go and glaze during school hours and chat to other studio members about all things clay OR we could sit in silence, shuffling between buckets, shelves and stools, dipping, sponging, rinsing and repeating.

I was able to help out with their holiday kiln fundraiser, creating a poster and other social media graphics – it was one of the few times the laptop was cracked open in the final months of this year – but I am now known as ‘Amy the poster designer’ in the pottery studio and people have wondered who my mystery pots belonged to.

A local high school had a holiday art market in November and accepted me as a last-minute vendor, where I exhibited and sold a limited selection of pottery and prints.

Then before the holidays, a friend came over for a visit and ‘1:1 shopping experience’ to catch up on life, and she bought the handmade mug pictured in this photo.

There have been many pleasant surprises along the way and I plan to keep making pottery for, dare I say it, the rest of my life.

We started last year with a trip back to Ireland, taking the kids out of school.

It was full of logistics, opportunities, challenges, memories, unique experiences and ultimately, it reminded me why I want to design a life that works for me (and my family).

What is interesting is our year ended much like the beginning, except I didn’t know what would happen in between.

And right when I thought it was about to gear up into more doing, speaking, consulting, engaging – life went in another direction and brought me closer to home.

To the small and simple things.

Amy Lynch | Handbuilt and hand painted underglazed stoneware ceramic mug and vase Fall 2023 | Notes From Another Land

Photo: Two of my white stoneware ceramic pieces, a small bud vase and mug, imprinted with handpainted underglazed plants, on a wooden table against a grey wall.

Stay well everyone,

– Amy (+ Family) xx

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I wrote a book:

Startup Blogging Book By Amy Maureen Lynch

Startup Blogging: Validate A Business Idea and Build Your Audience is based on my journey as a blogger, writer, founder and parent to date.

You can download the Amazon Kindle app for free from the Apple Store and Google Play.

You can then purchase, download and read the eBook version of my book from your mobile, tablet or device!

BUY THE BOOK: STARTUP BLOGGING

My first art market (of hopefully many)

❄️ A seasonal personal/promotional/pottery post: My oldest and I did our own private tour of Galway around shop street and the spanish arch earlier this year, when a kind stranger offered to snap a few photos of us outside Judy Greene Pottery.

🍀 My favourite number is 11, middle name is Maureen and I’ve been making pots for the past four years, so I took it as a good sign! Maybe I’ll have a shop called Amy Maureen’s in future?

🚸 For now, I’m making things in community studios and at my kitchen table during school hours. So it’s only fitting we’ll be at St. Patrick’s HS Craft Fair this Saturday with over 100 artisans, crafters and student volunteers, in their gyms converted into a holiday mall for you to stroll around and shop local. I’ll have handmade pots, art and note card prints of my photos from our time spent living in Ireland, England and Australia.

You can find us at:
St. Patrick’s HS, 2525 Alta Vista Drive, Ottawa
Saturday, November 25th from 10 am – 3 pm
$2 admission, children free

🎨 If you can’t make it, I’ll be reopening my online shop and booking future local markets for 2024. Less activism for me, more art making…which in itself is a form of it!

🚼📊 It’s still Mixing Babies And Business™ but my oldest two kids are now school age, production is small batch handmade and focused on sustainability and spreading joy.

🌊 And if you’re planning a trip to Ireland, be sure to stopover in Co. Galway to drive around the Wild Atlantic Way and visit some of my favourite local artists, cafés and pubs in Spiddal Craft Village & Cáfe, Oughterard and Shop Street in Galway City…you won’t regret it and I’m sure Fáilte Ireland would agree.

Amy Lynch | Browsing Galway City with my oldest kid and exploring Judy Greenes Pottery in Winter 2023 | Notes From Another Land

Photo: Amy Lynch (me) and my six year old son wearing winter jackets and standing in front of Judy Greene’s pottery shop decorated with green and yellow trim, beside a dark blue painted Tempo Antiques shop, alongside a purple mural and portrait of Seamus Heaney with the words ‘Noli timere’ on Kirwan’s Lane, in Galway City, Ireland.

Stay well everyone,

– Amy (+ Family) xx

Subscribe to receive my free monthly Work + Life newsletter focused on travel, international family life, creativity and flexible work: http://bit.ly/AmyMaureenLynchNews

I wrote a book:

Startup Blogging Book By Amy Maureen Lynch

Startup Blogging: Validate A Business Idea and Build Your Audience is based on my journey as a blogger, writer, founder and parent to date.

You can download the Amazon Kindle app for free from the Apple Store and Google Play.

You can then purchase, download and read the eBook version of my book from your mobile, tablet or device!

BUY THE BOOK: STARTUP BLOGGING

Making progress, while making art

Since being in a car accident in September, I haven’t been as active online as I learn what it’s like to recover from a concussion.

I’ve gotten to experience what physiotherapy is like – I assumed it would be relaxing (not quite) – and to be honest I have been in denial that I really did have a concussion and needed to adjust my behaviour and life accordingly.

The easier bits to accept were things I had already learned to modify as a parent and during pregnancies:
– altering my schedule at a moments’ notice
– listening to my body and trying to rest
– blocking things in my calendar, writing it down repeatedly and setting reminders
– reducing life admin, ignoring messes and saying no to lots of things

The harder parts have been:
– relearning how to lace and tie my son’s skates
– trying to ask a question during a business panel and forgetting my words in the middle of it in front of a crowd
– practicing mental arithmetic which is similar to my son’s Grade 2 school work, experiencing vertigo and getting used to doing daily physio ‘homework’

I have been forgetful, tire more easily, unable to multitask, lose patience with myself and get discouraged by setbacks which can happen at any time, forcing me to try again.

When I became a parent in 2016, I started to learn these things with each pregnancy over the years and every kid I have had is completely different, which has been a humble reminder to do what works in the moment and not to compare to my previous routines and abilities.

But having a concussion is a new experience for me and I must admit, it’s been harder for me to adjust my expectations and practice self-compassion.

My partner and three kids still love me, are kind, understanding and try their best to help but in our house the noise levels stay the same and life goes on, regardless of my current state!

So I am learning to ask for help (again), be kind to myself (again) and what the rest my body and mind currently need looks and feels like (again), versus what I may have previously needed.

There is always more to learn and a new level to get to.

Something I have done over the past four years which is completely unrelated to my posts, parent-friendly business activism, public speaking and family life is pottery.

Amy Lynch | Dark turquoise ceramic pot from Summer 2023 | Notes From Another Land

I started off consulting for a local studio in 2019, helping them out throughout the pandemic and along the way, I ended up learning handbuilding, wheel throwing and the behind the scenes business operations of running a community space. I’ve taken courses and workshops across the city and am able to make basic mugs, bowls and vases.

So during these past few weeks, I’ve been working on projects at home, making clay pots with my kids and doing something that doesn’t involve screens.

Who knows how these pots they will turn out but for now, pottery is something unrelated to ‘productivity’ for me to be present and not overload my system too much.

Not posting for sympathy or pottery love, simply trying to articulate something I thought I had overcome but have not (yet).

I also met a lovely woman today who introduced herself to me at a café as she heard my story and had experienced a brain injury eight years ago.

She came over to my toddler and I during her work shift and asked how I was doing. She told me it will get better, remember to be kind to myself, that I’m doing well and she’s here to chat if I want to.

So nice to hear and important to remember. Concussions are serious, I am learning a lot about how the body heals and kind strangers can be found everywhere.

Thank you for reading!

*And of course, if you’ve experienced something similar and have healed from it or are in the process of healing, please send me a message as I am always open to speaking and supporting others.

Stay well everyone,

– Amy (+ Family) xx

Flexible + Remote Work
Freebies For You:

Download the free template:
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Subscribe to receive my free monthly Work + Life newsletter focused on travel, international family life, creativity and flexible work: http://bit.ly/AmyMaureenLynchNews

I wrote a book:

Startup Blogging Book By Amy Maureen Lynch

Startup Blogging: Validate A Business Idea and Build Your Audience is based on my journey as a blogger, writer, founder and parent to date.

You can download the Amazon Kindle app for free from the Apple Store and Google Play.

You can then purchase, download and read the eBook version of my book from your mobile, tablet or device!

BUY THE BOOK: STARTUP BLOGGING

How quickly things can change

Wrote it, spoke it out loud in the previous blog post and the Universe delivered something unexpected on September 13, 2023. Which I shared with the community of people I am connected with on LinkedIn:

Life is unpredictable. I’m sure you’ve felt this at some point. One moment your day is going one way and then things change in an instant.

Trigger warning: On my drive home from the daycare I was working from, where I had joined the virtual government roundtable I posted about, my car was hit at an intersection.

I was driving with my toddler on the way to school pickup for our older two kids. Luckily I was the only one injured, our car has been towed and is done, but that is a minor problem which can be solved.

The mother in front of me also had her 2.5 year old toddler with her but thankfully they are fine. She ran out to help me, as did an off duty nurse and other bystanders before the first responders arrived.

Within 10 minutes, we had a stuffed toy panda from the firefighters for my son and were in the back of an ambulance feeding the kids, doing the police report and health checks.

My husband was able to get the kids before school closed, the neighbours made them dinner and looked after them, grandparents drove into the city to help us. Work has been rescheduled, appointments have been made, life for the next while is being adjusted.

I will be offline to sort out things related to the accident but I wanted to share that life is fragile and never in our complete control.

I try to be as present and intentional as I can be in each moment with my life, work and family. I’m thankful to kind strangers and a supportive community when moments like these happen.

Earlier that very same day before driving home with our toddler, I had shared:

Amy Lynch Coworking and Creche in Ottawa 2023 | Notes From Another Land

Looks like a boardroom but today I’m at my youngest son’s daycare, which has a coworking space for parents. Living my dreams out loud!

I just finished attending a virtual roundtable with Senator Colin Deacon, Independent Senator from Nova Scotia and entrepreneur, hosted by Startup Canada’s Natasha Hope Morano, to discuss the federal procurement process for entrepreneurs, current challenges and ideas for future solutions and improvements.

While the session was private and won’t be shared publicly, I can tell you I spoke for three minutes during the daycare centre’s naptime, with some baby and toddler noises in the background.

I shared my experiences delivering professional services as a sole proprietor working with program leaders who were funded by federal, provincial and municipal levels of government in Ottawa, Ontario and Canada, as well as things I’ve been a part of as a newcomer and participant in programming in England, Ireland and Australia, that I thought worked well. I had a few suggestions, things to explore but was mainly there to listen and learn, so I can continue sharing helpful resources with business owners, freelancers, contractors and entrepreneurs who also happen to be parents.

Amy Lynch Speaking at a Startup Gov Roundtable from a Coworking and Creche space in 2023 | Notes From Another Land

Stay well everyone,

– Amy (+ Family) xx

Subscribe to receive my free monthly Work + Life newsletter focused on travel, international family life, creativity and flexible work: http://bit.ly/AmyMaureenLynchNews

I wrote a book:

Startup Blogging Book By Amy Maureen Lynch

Startup Blogging: Validate A Business Idea and Build Your Audience is based on my journey as a blogger, writer, founder and parent to date.

You can download the Amazon Kindle app for free from the Apple Store and Google Play.

You can then purchase, download and read the eBook version of my book from your mobile, tablet or device!

BUY THE BOOK: STARTUP BLOGGING

Arriving back at the start and beginning again

Good morning or good evening wherever in the world you’re reading this from.

Whether you’ve been a longtime reader (I’ve been blogging since 2010!) or have just joined me here in 2023, my name is Amy and I’ve been quiet over here since my third baby arrived last year. I have posted updates through my podcast (search Mixing Babies And Business™ wherever you usually like to tune in) and have been sharing my parenthood and professional development work, speaking engagements and ideas over on LinkedIn.

But here? Here has gone a bit quiet. And I’m about to change that.

I wrote this as a bit of a back story but it’s ended up feeling more like a love letter from my present self to the woman I was before I started to blog and share my adventures and experiences more openly 13 years ago.

It’s been quite a wild ride but it’s nice to know where I’ve arrived at and ponder what I’m about to dream up next.

I grew up on a small dairy farm outside of Ottawa in Canada, and since my early 20s, have lived in Australia, England and Ireland, finding my way back to Canada in my early 30s.

During this journey spent living and working around the world, I met and married a man who grew up on a small sheep farm outside of Galway city in Ireland and we started a family, which now has three boys, ranging in age from 1.5 to 7 years old.

But we don’t live on a farm (yet).

Co. Wicklow in Ireland
Kids running around the fields at Russborough House
in Co. Wicklow, Ireland.

Despite our rural origins, we’ve always lived in urban settings, cities (Brisbane > London > Ottawa) and even a small charming village (Naas in Co. Kildare). In between our first four “homes” together, we’ve spent time staying with family members in Canada and Ireland, as well as sleeping on friends’ floors as we settled into life in bustling, always busy, London.

Before I started all of this travel, I was working with an art school in Canada, which I adored but alas, adventures were calling me.

Since I left in 2010 and have returned to Ottawa once again, there’s been many paths I’ve explored, industries worked in, strangers who’ve become friends. But I’ve always tried to make time to pursue art, any way I can: photography in every place, printmaking, drawing and watercolour painting community courses in London and lately, at ceramics studios in Ottawa.

Becoming a parent in London, England

During the past eight years especially, I’ve felt a stronger pull toward writing, creating things, sharing ideas and connecting others. This has manifested in becoming an accidental activist, pitching and presenting alongside my kids as babies, designing parent-friendly professional development, hosting and producing five seasons of my very own podcast.

I’m currently writing my (second) book for release before the end of this year, about how I’ve done all of those things alongside having three kids. If you haven’t read my first book, you can buy it in digital and print versions and if you have Kindle Unlimited, it’s currently free!

So here I am, back where I began. Back to Ottawa. Back to using my voice. Back to art. Back to writing. Backing myself first.

I’ve been drawing since I was little and have lots of inspiration in the form of photos from my travels over the years. But it wasn’t until I was introduced to the world of ceramics and pottery in 2019, working with a local studio as a marketing client, that I started getting back in touch with making things by hand.

This exploration period meant I got to create many beginner wheel thrown pots and handbuilt projects over the past four years. In the middle of it all, I decided to launch a line of fine art travel prints of my photos. But then I became pregnant with our third child and whittled down my workload and creative processes.

London Collection Fine Art Travel Prints: Notes From Another Land
One of my art prints from London, England.

My third baby and body required more rest for me, so I put my art prints on hold but still managed to take four wheel throwing courses throughout my pregnancy and postpartum period!

Trust me, sitting at a wheel after having the baby was much easier for me than during pregnancy but it’s interesting to see the differences in the pots I’ve made over the years.

Now that September has rolled around, my youngest is starting at daycare and the older two are getting back to school, it’s time to pick up where I left off! I’m celebrating this new “season” and gifting myself time to explore and play with discovering my signature style. I can feel it emerging.

There are piles of photographs to sift through, snapshots of moments in time to grow from but I have never fully given myself permission (outside of making pottery and still life drawings) to focus on making art.

Aside from community courses, I’ve been a regular patron of libraries, galleries and museums wherever we have lived – these have been sanctuaries for me as a new parent and a remote worker. A place to always go, simply “be” and connect with others’ ideas, viewpoints and creations.

For now, I’ll be curating more fine art travel prints in the lead up to the holiday season, with a plan to release them again now that my health is back on track. I’ll also be practicing pottery as life allows, it’s the one creative pursuit I have which makes it impossible to multitask and look after children with…especially when mud is flying at the wheel!

A selection of my wheel thrown pots created over the past three years.

I have always believed everyone deserves to design a life that works for them and their family. This is probably very related to the fact that I grew up surrounded by my family and their business, living on our small dairy farm.

I started this blog and now creative brand, Notes From Another Land, as a means to live out my belief and document my experiences as an expat abroad over the years.

What followed on from it has been a separate social impact movement around Mixing Babies And Business™, which has been great to see evolve and make progress over the years.

But over the coming months, I’m setting the intention to take more time to create and implement a regular art practice, while beginning to share and sell my work again. My intuition is telling me it’s right next step and like all of the other leaps in life I’ve taken, only time will tell how it all unfolds! For now, I’m hopeful.

Stay well everyone,

– Amy (+ Family) xx

Flexible + Remote Work
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I wrote a book:

Startup Blogging Book By Amy Maureen Lynch

Startup Blogging: Validate A Business Idea and Build Your Audience is based on my journey as a blogger, writer, founder and parent to date.

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When accidental activism evolves into something more permanent

Who knew that six years after wheeling my 10-month-old baby and his stroller into weekly breakfast workshops beginning at 7:30 a.m. in order to access business resources and qualify for an Ontario Gov enabled startup funding grant, I’d be invited to a roundtable featuring seven local entrepreneurs to speak about my experiences and challenges with Victor Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade for Ontario.

Last week’s roundtable was hosted by non-partisan national organization, Startup Canada, and Amazon at their Ottawa HQ, and during my four-minute speech, I attempted to cover:

  • • workforce participation
    • inclusive business spaces
    • funding educators and early years jobs and facilities to enable parents to have childcare and schools which don’t close due to staffing shortages
    • postpartum mental health supports
    • funding for domestic violence programming
    • safe housing and more.

As my three children grow up, I see the many layers of policy across governmental departments, ministries on all levels (Federal, Provincial, Municipal) which impact parents’ ability to design a life that works for them and their family.

This is not a short-term fix, creating parent-friendly corporate spaces, events, experiences and cultures are a small drop in the bucket as it relates to what is within our control as citizens, company owners, leaders, employees, educators, decision makers, caregivers and more.

But please know that you showing up, as you are, with your kids, could start to affect the changes you’d like to see.

For once, I didn’t bring one of my kids with me but please also know that two out of three of them were up in the night, and my attendance at the meeting was only made possible for me to go solo thanks to my partner taking a few days of summer leave and the kindness of our neighbourhood parents organizing play dates.

We now have created a bit of our own local village to connect our kids into, as with my activism and work Mixing Babies And Business™ … it only took about six years to get here!

Photo with Minister Fedeli and other Ottawa-area entrepreneurs at Amazon's HQ, hosted by Startup Canada.

Photo of me (far left), with Minister Fedeli and other Ottawa-area entrepreneurs, Tristan Smyth of Warshield, Stephanie Mitton of Beacon North Strategies, Akil M. of The Box Of Life, Komal Minhas of Karseva Company, Henry Assad of Happy Goat Coffee Co., Naina Kansal of Tapri Chai Canada and members of the Startup Canada team at Amazon’s HQ.

“If you don’t have a seat at the table, you’re probably on the menu.” — Elizabeth Warren

This quote has been attributed to many different people over the years, but I wanted to share it as a follow up to my meeting because:

🚼 Becoming an accidental activist has meant I do a lot of written, spoken and recently, government relations work, on behalf of parents and primary caregivers because I don’t want to experience inequalities…but I also don’t want our future generations to experience it if we can collaborate to make a difference NOW.

💸 I don’t get paid to attend non-partisan roundtable events with politicians in Federal and Provincial Canadian Governments, but when the invitations arrive I almost always say “YES” on behalf of Mixing Babies And Business™, parents and primary caregivers in Ontario and across Canada.

📢 That means from 2021–2023 I’ve participated in three roundtables virtually and in person, one formal dinner in Ottawa and one private meeting at Canada’s Parliament Hill with members of Federal and Provincial Governments related to entrepreneurship, the budget, gender equality and economic development, where I’ve had the opportunity to speak with Members of Parliament (MP) and Members of Provincial Parliament (MPP):

• Ruby Sahota, Dean Allison and Gord Johns
• Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance Rachel Bendayan
• Chair of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women (FEWO) Karen Vecchio, FEWO members Leah Gazan and Minister of Families, Children and Social Development the Hon. Jenna Sudds
• Chair of Cabinet and Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade of Ontario the Hon. Victor Fedeli

I started showing up with my kid(s) to speak at events in 2016.

Not asking for a seat at the table, on the panel or for permission.

Focusing on creating safer space for parents, primary caregivers and their children, while sharing information with others who were curious to learn more.

Through open conversations, designing and testing new experiences, contributing to public policy, providing feedback and showing up as we are, little by little things can change.

📆 With back to school starting for my kids this week and my youngest entering daycare, I’m preparing to sit at more tables as a representative for parents and primary caregivers in 2023-2024.

If you’d like to invite me, please reach out via my contact form or LinkedIn.

And if you’d like to learn more about showing up with your kids in corporate spaces, my podcast, newsletter or volunteer mentoring chats are the best places to start! Also linked below. ⬇️

For corporate events and guest speaking: https://mixingbabiesandbusiness.com/contact/

For parents seeking more info / podcast / newsletter:
https://mixingbabiesandbusiness.com/podcast/

Mentoring for parents and primary caregivers:
https://startupwomen.mentorly.co/en/mentors/amylynch

Amy Lynch, Host of the Mixing Babies And Business Podcast and accidental activist turned guest speaker.

Let this be your Monday reminder to keep showing up, whatever stage of parenting or business you’re at.

– Amy (+ Family) xx
Founder of Mixing Babies And Business™

Lead blog post photo of me (Amy Lynch) holding my baby and a microphone to speak on stage at CreativeMornings Ottawa in front of a crowd of adults, while my toddler walked toward us, hosted at the Ottawa Art Gallery. Photo by Finn Lin for CM Ottawa, April 2019.

📬 If you’d like to keep in touch with me:

• Sign up to or stay on my email list (linked below, sent monthly but newsletters will slow down until April)
• Follow the Mixing Babies And Business™ Company Page on LinkedIn
• Follow / Subscribe to the Mixing Babies And Business™ Podcast

Looking for more info about Flexible + Remote Work?

I’ve steadily chugged along to 80+ episodes of the Mixing Babies And Business™ Podcast (hosted and produced by me, Amy Lynch, from my home office and other third spaces).

Mixing Babies And Business Podcast by Amy Maureen Lynch

Download the free template:
Remote Work (With Kids) Time Blocking Made Easy [DOWNLOAD]

Subscribe to receive my free monthly Work + Life newsletter focused on travel, international family life, creativity and flexible work: http://bit.ly/AmyMaureenLynchNews

I wrote a book:

Startup Blogging Book By Amy Maureen Lynch

Startup Blogging: Validate A Business Idea and Build Your Audience is based on my journey as a blogger, writer, founder and parent to date.

You can download the Amazon Kindle app for free from the Apple Store and Google Play.

You can then purchase, download and read the eBook version of my book from your mobile, tablet or device!

BUY THE BOOK: STARTUP BLOGGING