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About this item
Description
About the Book
Writer and mother Ashlee Gadd helps you discover the sacred connection between creating and mothering. One-part commissioning, one-part pep talk, Create Anyway will propel you forward with a renewed sense of energy, purpose, and enthusiasm for stewarding the creative dreams God has planted in your heart--right alongside the diapers and carpool.From the Back Cover
Motherhood and creativity can coexist.You have creative dreams swirling in your heart, but pursuing them while changing diapers and managing the carpool schedule feels impossible. You have no time. No space. You can mother, or you can create. You certainly can't do both (right?!).
But what if you could pursue your God-given creative gifts alongside motherhood, for the enrichment of both experiences? What if you stopped viewing creativity as a selfish act, and started to see it as essential to your own flourishing as a mother?
This book is a much-needed permission slip to do just that--through the pictures you take, the stories you write, the meals you make, the music you play, the gardens you grow.
In this unforgettable book filled with rich storytelling and stunning photographs, writer and mother Ashlee Gadd helps you set aside the guilt and discover the sacred connection between creating and mothering. One-part commissioning, one-part pep talk, Create Anyway will propel you forward with a renewed sense of energy, purpose, and enthusiasm for stewarding the creative dreams God has planted in your heart--right alongside the diapers and carpool.
Here's to creating in the margins of motherhood.
Here's to creating anyway.
About the Author
Ashlee Gadd is the founder of Coffee + Crumbs--a beautiful online space where motherhood and storytelling intersect. As a writer and photographer, Ashlee has spent her entire motherhood creating in the margins. When she's not writing or vacuuming Cheerios out of the carpet, she loves making friends on the internet, eating cereal for dinner, and rearranging bookshelves. She and her husband have three kids and live in Northern California. Learn more at ashleegadd.com.Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Number of Pages: 256
Genre: Religion + Beliefs
Sub-Genre: Christian Life
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Format: Hardcover
Author: Ashlee Gadd
Language: English
Street Date: March 28, 2023
TCIN: 87299135
UPC: 9780764240041
Item Number (DPCI): 059-01-4129
Origin: Made in the USA
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Shipping details
Estimated ship dimensions: 1 inches length x 6.5 inches width x 8.5 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 1 pounds
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5.0 out of 5 stars with 40 reviews
100% would recommend
31 recommendations
Read Again, and Again, and Again...
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
lch727 - 1 year ago
I always enjoy reading Ashlee Gadd's writing, and this book is no exception. This is exactly the type of book I will re-read many times over. I have highlighted numerous words, phrases, sentences; then I re-read a chapter and find even more to annotate. Words I want to remember, ideas I want to ponder, prompts I want to do something about. So much inspiration within the spine of the book. The book itself is a physically beautiful work of art, and then combined with all of Ashlee's words inside of it, I love thinking about all of the other works of art it will continue to inspire for mothers to keep creating.
Great
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
pearl - 2 years ago, Verified purchaser
loved the honesty and point of views from different perspectives. First time mom and this is helping with my creative side!
Encouraging!
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
- 2 years ago, Verified purchaser
Loved this book! I've listened to the Coffee & Crumbs podcast for years and knew I liked Ashlee Gadd's writing so this was an easy yes for me. Felt so seen and encouraged reading this
Inspiration Creation
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Sue - 2 years ago
Create Anyway, the Joy of Pursuing Creativity in the Margins of Motherhood by Ashlee Gadd is a beautifully illustrated, hardcover book sharing Ashlee's journey of mothering and creativity. This is a raw and honest look at mothering as well as creativity. Ashlee gives moms the permission to be creative. The audience is definitely for younger mothers. Ashlee is the founder of Coffee + Crumbs, an online to community for mothers. She also shared shares highlights of other women who have been creative. This content is geared towards younger mothers, and will be an encouragement for them. As a mother of older children, I did not find it quite as appealing. However, I am sure it will be benefit younger moms. I was given a free copy from the publisher for my honest review, which I was happy to do. This will be an encouragement for many.
AMAZING
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Nicole - 2 years ago, Verified purchaser
Loved this book. Recommend to any mom!
A must read!
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Lnr511 - 2 years ago
This is a beautifully written book! You will laugh, cry and nod along with author Ashlee Gadd as she tells many raw and genuine stories throughout her creative life. On every page she is encouraging and invites us to join in the creative along side her. You will finish this book with a new found strength and desire to create for joy for love and necessity. You will learn how to “create anyway!”
Profound, Beautiful, and the anthem so many of us need
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Sarah - 2 years ago
Create Anyway is profound, beautiful, and exactly the anthem so many of us need as we work to create beauty even in brokenness. Ashlee shares her own honest stories about creating in the midst of motherhood and encourages women that creativity and motherhood can, in fact, work together. Ashlee's experience is as a writer and photography, but I also love how she included artists interviews with all kinds of creative women whose lives and work are different from her own. Definitely read this book!
Beautiful & powerful book
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Steph B - 2 years ago
I bought a copy & I'm gifting another one!! This book was so so good- every chapter, the photography inside- it is an anthem for motherhood and creativity - it's the book I wish I read when I first became a mom 5 years ago yet was so encouraging today! so so good!!
love!
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Agg - 2 years ago, Verified purchaser
I listen to Ashlee’s C+C podcast, read her weekly newsletter, and have read her previous book, The Magic of Motherhood. I basically consume all of the content she puts out there, so naturally I would read her newest book, Create Anyway! Create Anyway continued to surprise me in almost every page of the book with how spiritual it was. I was very impressed with the biblical references in the book, which were clearly very well studied. She also weaved her own spiritual experiences into the book, including all of the ways God has spoken to her over the years- over herself, her creativity, her work, and her motherhood. In her book, Ashlee set out to show us how we can create in the margins of motherhood. My creative outlet, the way I process things and the way I document my emotions and memories, is writing. The way that Ashlee herself writes is in inspiration to me, and something else this book showed me is how I want God to continue to speak to me, in particular through my writing.
Motherhood + Creativity
5 out of 5 stars
Hello123 - 2 years ago
“Creativity cannot survive without an active imagination, but this is where so many of us mothers get stuck, in the humdrum of our days.” I’ve followed Ashlee and her work at Coffee + Crumbs since my early days of motherhood. The essays were always so comforting and reminded me over and over that I was not alone. Ashlee put words to my feelings about motherhood and this book is no different. Ashlee shared her own vulnerable stories about imposter syndrome, comparison, and anxiety to help you overcome your own. She did not hold back on the things that were/are hard for her or the encouragement you need to push through the same things. If you are looking for a book that helps you move towards your creative gifts while you are a mother, this is for you. If you hope for faith to intersect the writing, this book does that too. If you want someone who has been there and will talk to you like a friend, this book is the one to read. “Both motherhood and creativity have taught me to be brave, to relentlessly seek beauty and joy among the mundane, to notice the remarkable grace flooding my unremarkable life.”
A gift of encouragement from cover to cover
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Miranda - 2 years ago
Create Anyway is the book I’ve been desperately needing as a mom of young kids. I know my role as a mother is some of the most important work I will ever do, which is why I have struggled to prioritize my creativity. Create Anyway has completely shifted this for me. It has opened my eyes to see that as mothers, we are creative every day in ways that we don’t even realize. The entire book felt like sitting down with Ashlee and having a heart to heart conversation with a dear friend. I felt seen, comforted, encouraged, and inspired to pursue my photography and writing in the midst of motherhood—and embrace that these things can co-exist with one another. This is one of those books that I know that I will absolutely come back to in the years to come. Ashlee’s words are truly a gift and I hope this book gets into the hands of mothers everywhere!
This book is a must read!!
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Valerie - 2 years ago
I smiled my way through this whole book. It’s delightful, encouraging, inspiring, and practical. I loved that at the end of each chapter there was a creative exercise and journal prompt to put into practice what I read and reflect on the content. My main takeaway is that mothers can also be creatives and that these two roles can work in tandem and make each other better. I’m already looking forward to rereading this book!
Run, Don't Walk!!!
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
kellie k - 2 years ago
Ashlee Gadd **knocked it out of the park!** Create Anyway will encourage, convict, and challenge every mother who is seeking to live a creative life while raising kids! I feel a renewed sense of confidence that I can (and WILL) pursue a creative life during the busy years of motherhood - because they both feed each other in the best possible way. Ashlee’s writing is compelling, positive, and uplifting while getting to the core of our fears, insecurities, and perfectionistic tendencies. Cannot recommend this book more!!!
A masterpiece for mamas everywhere
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Simone Griffin - 2 years ago
Five stars just doesn’t do this book justice. Ashlee has a such a special way of storytelling. As I read her words and admired the photos, I felt like I was cozied up in a coffee shop having a conversation with a friend. The stories make me nod, smile, and chuckle. The nudge to notice beauty all around and to create in response to that beauty makes me feel inspired. But above all else, the honest discussions about barriers, insecurity, and limited capacity make me feel seen and understood. Ashlee’s perseverance and determination to pursue artistic outlets in the margins gently pushes me to be a better artist AND a better mom. This entire book is a reminder that it’s possible to grow in both areas simultaneously. In fact, it shows the many ways that motherhood and creativity are inseparable. Failure to read this book is really a missed blessing! I believe God is speaking to the heart of so many mothers through Ashlee’s messages. If you’re on the fence about the book, consider this your sign to take the leap! You won’t regret it!
You will feel Seen, Encouraged, and Inspired
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
- 2 years ago, Verified purchaser
As a mom of three who struggles with guilt around making time for creating, Create Anyway addressed all the things that hold me back. It felt like Ashlee, a fellow mom of three, was sharing her heart with me over a cup of coffee, showing me the importance of creating as a mom. She shows (never tells) you how making space for your creative outlets is good for your soul and your family. Three of my favorite chapters were Nothing is Wasted, It Takes a Village, and Throwing Glitter. They not only encouraged me in my creativity, but also as a mother, wife, and friend.
Beautiful read
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Beautiful read - 2 years ago
Every mother should read this book. I couldn’t put it down. It is truly beautiful and soulful and inspirational. It makes you want to stop what you’re doing right then and there and start creating. I found myself nodding along in agreement, crying, and laughing all throughout reading this book. There are journal prompts at the end of each chapter as well as a creative exercise to do which is so nice for those of us that aren’t sure where to even start. Not only are the words in this book beautifully written, the book looks beautiful too! One that you want to keep out on your coffee table for everyone to see. I can’t wait to start creating the way God intended us to. Thank you Ashlee!
THE book every creative mom needs!
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Laura B - 2 years ago
Reading “Create Anyway,” felt like getting a personal pep talk reminding me that I was made in the image of a Creator who made me to create. More than that, it felt like being handed a permission slip: one reminding me that even as a mother of little kids, I can—should—make the time to pursue creativity. Ashlee’s words reminded me that even when creativity looks like scribbling down a few words in the carpool line, it’s worth doing. This beautifully written book (accompanied by gorgeous photographs, with inspiring creative exercises and thoughtful journal prompts at the end of each chapter) is one I will be returning to over and over. Each page spoke directly to the challenges of navigating the constant pull between creating and mothering. Every chapter, every story left me feeling seen, encouraged, and inspired. This book is a true gift to any mother who has felt the pull to create in the margins of motherhood.
You need this book!
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
MN gal - 2 years ago
I decided to read this book because I’ve been following Ashlee Gadd’s work for years. She is a champion of mothers and of creativity. I loved this book so much. This book is not a formula for creating. It’s an invitation for creating. This book is helping me lean into the ways I feel creative, not wait around for the perfect time or place to be creative. Now is the time. I love the writing style of this book. It has personal stories, a faith component, creative exercises and journaling prompts. The photos and the physical book itself are also beautiful.
Affirming and inspiring for ALL moms!
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Jennie - 2 years ago
It seems everyone these days is telling moms not to lose themselves in motherhood, but no one tells you how. Enter Ashlee Gadd and “Create Anyway.” This book is the instruction manual (and permission slip) to recovering the parts of you that may be buried beneath the diapers, lunchboxes, and laundry. A personal chronicle of how Ashlee discovered her purpose in writing and photography, the author shares the doubts, fears, and logistical challenges she faced in her creative endeavors - and intertwines them with the encouraging and practical advice of a big sister or best friend. She’s quick to acknowledge her path may be different than yours, but gives a variety of tools and ideas that any mom can use to create space in her life for her pursuits. You really get the sense that Ashlee is on your team, and her relatable writing makes stepping into your purpose achievable and exciting. The book focuses on artistic creativity, but I think the advice and inspiration applies to any pursuit of a mom - academic, career, or otherwise. The message that God placed these desires in us as a reflection of Him, and that fostering them is a radical obedience, is applicable far beyond a paintbrush or sewing machine. In addition to Ashlee’s easy-to-read, but beautifully crafted, personal story, the book features interviews with other creators sharing their journeys. There’s also activities and journal prompts at the end of each chapter to spur your own growth. Reading this left me feeling encouraged, seen, and motivated. It will be the book I reach for when any friend tells me she’s feeling “lost” or “burnt out” in motherhood - and a go to gift for baby showers!
For the mom who wonders if she is creative - THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU, TOO!
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
BFurgeson - 2 years ago
If I could give this 10 stars, I would!! In the beginning, I was worried this wouldn’t apply to me because I don’t label myself as an “artist”. I don’t write or blog or do photography or paint…but I love Coffee+Crumbs and I love everything Ashlee writes. Y’ALL!! This book has completely refreshed my perspective and restored my heart. It brought light back into my life that I didn’t realize was missing. If you are feeling depleted and are hungry for inspiration - ORDER THIS BOOK. Don’t say “I’m not creative” until you read it. Trust me friend, after reading the words God put on Ashlee’s heart, you will find that we are all creators. God has given us each individual gifts and has invited us to co-create alongside Him. He is calling us to step out of our comfort zone, to recognize the beauty within our motherhood, and to share with others. If you’ve never read Ashlee’s writing, then you DEFINITELY need this book! Her words are always encouraging in every stage of motherhood. I promise you won’t regret it! I will be gifting this book for years to come! **It’s also a beautiful book and would be a great addition to the decor on your coffee table or bookshelf once you are finished reading! — definitely worth the price!**