Getting to know Alex
Multidisciplinary Designer + Illustrator

FW: Give us a glimpse into your career and how it looked in the years leading up to the pandemic?

Alex: After graduating from the U of A’s Bachelor of Design program in 2012, I spent a few years working at various design studios and in-house jobs before landing a product design job at Edmonton based software company TIQ Software.

Leading up to TIQ I started getting more and more interested in digital design jobs. Whenever a web or app design project would come across my desk I’d get so excited about taking it on and learning something new. In 2016 I started at TIQ and it quickly became the most rewarding and fun job I’ve ever had. I was proud to be a woman working in a design field that is often dominated by men. The team I got to work with were an absolute dream. I felt both pushed to do my best, while also being 100% supported.

In 2018 I started the LWD Edmonton chapter with my friend Natasia Martin. Co-hosting this chapter became, and continues to be a highlight as we strive to put on events for women and non-binary creatives to meet-up and share space with one another.

At the tail end of 2019 I said goodbye (for now) to my TIQ team and took a short break from hosting events as I started my mat leave. My partner and I welcomed our daughter into the world that following January, a few months before Alberta’s first lockdown.

FW: Can you summarize what your journey into motherhood looked like ?

Alex: Early on I knew I wanted to be able to shift my attention away from work and fully lean into motherhood and enjoy the early days of being a new parent. I treated it like training for a marathon, or doing research for a new client project. I signed up for all of the classes, read all of the books, I made freezer meals, and took advantage of every service offered at Pine Integrated (which I can’t recommend enough). I wanted to be ready for whatever would hit me postpartum.

I was fortunate to have a positive birth and postpartum experience, but being a new mom hasn't always been easy. Because of the pandemic we haven’t had as much in-person support as we would have had otherwise. A lot of the things I looked forward to doing as a new mother I haven’t been able to experience because of restrictions. There have been tears of frustration, tiredness and uncertainty.

On the flip side of things I feel a certain peace that hasn't always been there. It’s like I unlocked a part of my identity that I never new was missing. Day by day I feel more confident in this new role and my abilities to take on whatever comes my way.

FW: What does your current work/life situation look like balancing roles of mother and designer?

Alex: I would say my time is split up 95% mother 5% designer.

The reality is, because of the pandemic I chose to extend my mat leave so that we wouldn’t have to put Sutton into daycare. When Sutton goes down for her naps, I typically open my laptop and work on Forty Wink or freelance design projects. She’s a good sleeper so I can anticipate having at least 2 hours to get stuff done. In the last couple of months I’ve tried having childcare lined up for a few hours on Fridays so that I can get through my to-do list.

I don’t have much time to commit to design work but trying to sneak in even that 5% is important to me. I love being a mother, but I also love what I do for a living and I feel like having that time to work on what gets me excited will only make me a better mom.

FW: What inspired your Mother’s Day graphic?

Alex: I want my daughter Sutton to grow up to be someone who listens to others. I want her to be empathetic, open minded, an ally… I want her to be kind.

2020 has revealed that we all need to embody these traits a little bit more. The actions and decisions I make will play a part in what kind of person my daughter becomes. I’m committed to doing everything I can to ensure I raise a kind person but to also be a person that she can one day feel proud of having as a mother.

Parenting through the pandemic

FW: What does a typical day for you look like right now?

Alex: Sutton wakes up around 6:30am and I get up and nurse her. While my partner or I get her ready for the day, the other makes coffee and breakfast. We eat together then he leaves for work (because we live in a condo we’ve been renting an office out of a co-work space down the street). I’ll usually take our dog Clyde, and Sutton for a walk around the neighbourhood before coming home, giving her a snack and putting her down for her first nap of the day. Once she’s asleep I crack open my laptop, go through my Asana to-do list and get to work. My partner usually comes home for lunch around 11:30am which is also when Sutton wakes up and we typically eat together. In the afternoon Sutton and I often meet-up with a friend for an outdoor visit. It’s then time for another nap, and more work time which takes us to 5ish. Once Jackson get’s home we normally go out for another walk before coming home and having dinner. After dinner my partner takes care of bath time before I come in and nurse her and put her down to sleep around 7pm. We’ll often collapse on the couch, have a drink and relax/chat about our day before calling it a night ourselves.

FW: What are the best and worst pieces of advice you’ve gotten as a working mother?

Alex: I’m still on an extended mat leave so haven’t fully experienced being a working mother, but I would say that every person needs to do what’s right for them and their families. We often get advice based on what has worked best for other people, but at the end of the day you have to decide what will work best for your family. Maybe that means going back to work, maybe it means staying home to raise your family and reducing your workload. That’s something only you can decide.

FW: How have you managed balancing your workload in a time when childcare has been sometimes unavailable or sporadic?

Alex: This has been a tough one for me. My plan was to originally go back to work in January 2021 when Sutton turned one. With the pandemic at the front of our minds, we felt apprehensive putting Sutton in daycare so I extended my mat leave. I did start getting the itch to work again so I took on a few freelance projects I felt I could manage during nap time. A few months ago we also started having my amazing in-laws babysit for a few hours on Fridays so I could sneak in a bit of uninterrupted work time.

I’m very upfront about my situation and let people know quick turn-around times aren’t always possible anymore and that Sutton will most likely be present for work related calls. I try not to stress out too much. I’ve gotten really good at keeping track of to-do lists so that it’s easy to jump in and pick up where I left off when I find pockets of time to work.

FW: What supports and/or resources have made it possible for you to take on both career and child-rearing responsibilities?

Alex: I was fortunate to qualify for EI maternity benefits so took a full year of mat leave. My partner Jackson is also very supportive of me trying to keep my foot in the door during my now extended mat leave. Whenever I need to focus on LWD Edmonton, Forty Wink or the odd freelance project he takes on child-rearing responsibilities without hesitation. We’re also fortunate to have both sets of grandparents close by. My partner’s parents are retired and are happy to watch Sutton so that I can get a couple hours of work in. Once my mom is on summer holidays from teaching, we plan to have them watch Sutton from time to time as well.

FW: What have been some of the biggest challenges or changes to your work life since the start of the pandemic?

Alex: I was already on mat leave but the pandemic caused me to postpone my return to work. The biggest challenge has been accepting that this is a bit out of my control and that things don’t always go as planned.

FW: Has the pandemic impacted how you parent your child/ren?

Alex: Because I haven’t really experienced being a mother without the pandemic it’s hard for me to know but I imagine I’m more attentive to Sutton because I have less distractions.

Restrictions have made it so that we spend A LOT of time outdoors exploring our neighbourhood. I’ve become increasingly aware of trying to find ways of socializing her so we go on a lot of walks with friends and their children, and when the weather doesn’t play nice we FaceTime.

It was important to Jackson and I that we keep doing the things that we love once we became parents so we made a point to bring her camping. This winter we fit a lot of skiing and skating in. I look forward to a time when we can bring her into even more spaces that we enjoyed before the pandemic.

FW: How have the demands of motherhood impacted your career?

Alex: I think the lines between choice and demand can get a bit hairy for me here. Because I had the option of taking a mat leave, I felt like it was absolutely something that I wanted to take advantage of. That doesn’t mean that I’ve never been stressed out that this decision also meant stepping away from my career for a period of time. I’ve lost sleep over how this choice may result in delayed opportunities for career advancement. That while my peers continue to grow in their roles I’ll be in the same place a year later. I like to think that becoming a mother will open up new/different opportunities as my priorities and mindset evolve.

FW: Have you formed a personal motto or philosophy surrounding your recent experiences?

Alex: In her recent birth story post my cousin Ali shared a quote by Glennon Doyle, “We can do hard things.” and I think about it often. Sometimes the path forward will be challenging but we’ll find our way through and be stronger more resilient people because of it.

FW: Has the pandemic positively impacted your career/life in any way?

Alex: Being home for 12+ months wasn’t my original plan, but I wouldn’t trade this time with my daughter for anything. I’m super grateful for the time we’ve had together as a new family. My partner Jackson travels for work but the pandemic has kept him home with us. We sit down together for almost every meal and he’s only missed a handful of bedtimes.

The uncertainty surrounding the pandemic and how it’ll affect my career can sometimes get me down, but I’m thankful for the the LWD Edmonton and Forty Wink communities that have continued to grow during this time.

FW: If you had to pick, what would be the biggest thing mothering through the pandemic has changed your perspective on?

Alex: I think it’s reinforced the importance of my relationships with close friends and family. I so look forward to being able to share space with Sutton and my loved ones and watch them get to know the person she is becoming.

Check out Alex’s apparel + print contributions to our Mother’s Day Collection with The Branded Good!