Some women talk about how they experience weird side effects to pregnancy. As a matter of fact, I wrote a blog a few months back about Icky Side Effects. Over the past few weeks I’ve begun to experience a new one, one that I’m embracing with arms wide open. It’s called “Creativity” and it’s such a warm and inviting, even friendly side-effect.

There’s one thing about being pregnant and it’s that you discover new things about yourself. You discover you have abilities and talents that you never knew existed or perhaps you did know, but you just stifled them. Being pregnant seems to open up your mind and body to new experiences and no longer do you feel the need to hold back some of your talents. I’m not sure if it’s because your fears about raising your child seem to far outweigh your fears about displaying hidden talents, or if it’s just because there’s a new freedom about you. For me it’s almost as if a weight has been lifted off of me.

I am a writer. It’s taken some time for me to admit that, just because I have been afraid of my talents and gifts. Actually, I think the word I’m looking for is “intimidated”. Becoming pregnant has allowed me to get in touch with a whole new side of my personality, quelling any insecurities I had about my writing. I’ve managed to find a way to better channel my feelings and emotions onto paper and screen. And fortunately for me, I have absolutely wonderful people reading what I write. But there’s another side to me that I’m experiencing with, a side that I’m still super nervous about, but a side of me that I think is and will be fun and an added asset to my son’s life. That side of me is artistic creativity, the kind of creativity that spawns art projects and do-it-yourself home projects.

Lately, I’ve found myself doing crafts, creating gifts and designing packaging. I’ve never been very good at interior design, but I’ve found that I’m not quite so bad at decorating and designing especially where my son’s room AND NOW his bathroom are concerned. Not to worry, the bathroom should be completed by tomorrow night and I plan to post pictures along with the completed updates to Davey’s bedroom.

I’ve also found that I want to experiment with painting, with doing canvas artwork and trying my hand at something that I used to think was crazy and insane reserved only for a special set of people. By special, I’m not implying any sort of negative context, but truly special people who are able to make us see what’s in their heads. I’ve slowly learned that with my writing, so now I’m graduating to painting.

I’ve found that I’m now scouring pages of magazines, eager to find crafts and projects that Davey and I will be able to do together once he gets older. It’s a wonderful side effect, these new found creative juices. As a matter of fact, I have a date with one of my girlfriends tomorrow night. She is an absolutely wonderful artist and inspiration and I can’t wait to get these creative juices flowing! So, thank you, pregnancy and thank you, Davey.

By the way, some of my non-diction creativity will be seen here within the coming weeks as part of my projects include hostess gifts for my baby showers. Shhh!!!!!

Is this purely an “Amy Side Effect” or have so many others found out something new and exciting about themselves while being pregnant, something that isn’t a flaw or an imperfection? Instead have you found that being pregnant has indeed enlightened you as it has me?