A Day in the Life

Elise R. Peterson's career is not so easily defined. But who lives in straight lines anyways? The Los Angeleno is a writer and artist—who, fun fact, illustrated her first children's book before she was a mother—as well as the founder and host of Cool Moms podcast. She was the founding music editor of Saint Heron, too. Check out her incredible collage work here and on her site and read our interview with the talented multi-hyphenate below. She opens up about the importance of prioritizing your passions and shares her own pro tips.

P.S. One more for the mamas out there… Lest you think quarantine mode has slowed her down, Peterson recently launched Jug's World, a coloring book available to download here for free.

Artist, podcaster, writer, children's book illustrator, music editor…. What's the through-line in your career?
Storytelling and galvanizing community. So whether it's through written or visual work, I'm really just interested in sharing my narrative.

Tell us about your podcast, Cool Moms…
I was 28 and living in New York when I became pregnant with my son, Sargent. I remember being at an art gallery with my friends—I was one of the first to have kids—and asking, "Do you think I'm still going to be cool? Am I going to be a cool mom?" Just like that Mean Girls quote. I was having this whole existential crisis. I was about to have my first child and thinking, Who am I going to be? Am I going to be the same person? Is it fair to want that? What will be my identity? So I started to seek out advice and stories from women I respected.

So what makes a cool mom?
She's a mother, a caregiver, who prioritizes her passions. Like any mom has figured out, it's not so much about the balance—because some days you'll be a great mom, other days you'll be a great author and that's OK. I'm interested in people who are aware of that, who embrace the imbalance and are willing to be candid and share how they approach work in life and how bringing life into this world has shifted the trajectory of their careers.

Why is it important to keep after those passions?
This hits personally for me. My mother and I are very close. Now that I'm a grown woman, I see how much my mom has to offer. And, because of where she is, age-wise, I feel like she missed her window of opportunity to live out some of her dreams. That's why I think it's important. One of the greatest gifts I can give to my son—and that parents can give to their children—is to allow them to see you purposefully pursuing your passion. Whatever that thing is, be relentless about it. For some people, that absolutely is to raise children. For others, it's something else on top of it.

Tips to share for mothers doing so?
1. Do not be afraid to ask for help. That has been a really hard lesson for me because I've always been severely independent. I feel like I can do it all. And that is 100 percent impossible when you become a parent. It's a cliché, but it does take a village.
2. Know how to pivot when life throws things at you—because it always will. Change is constant. Be open to change and see the opportunities.
3. Be fearless—you have to be fearless to follow your purpose.
4. Find a spiritual practice to keep you rooted. For me, for example, in order to have survived up to this point, I really had to root myself in believing in something bigger than me.