Do Not Disturb · Laura Godfrey-Isaacs
Who makes space for what motherhood actually feels like?
Laura brings her experience as an artist and midwife to a conversation about care, creative expression and the stories mothers need room to tell.
Released 28 October 2026 · Season 3 · 52 minutes
Watch the full conversation ↗The Do Not Disturb edit
Three things to take with you.
Three ideas from the conversation, in our words.
Do
Make room to describe your own experience without making it look polished.
Not
Treat journalling as a substitute for support or clinical care.
Disturb
The expectation that a mother’s honest feelings must be edited into gratitude.
From art to midwifery
Laura describes the path between creative practice and caring for women. We discuss how people represent their own bodies and experiences, rather than having those stories told for them.
A page without a performance
Maternal Journal offers a way into creative expression and community. The point is not to produce beautiful work or prove that motherhood feels a particular way.
Care deserves recognition
Our conversation moves from an exercise about the care we give to the services and structures mothers need. Different responses to care are allowed; there is no required conclusion that everyone should work more or less.
Try the exercise Laura describes
Laura walks me through My Amazing Hands, a Maternal Journal guide credited to Alice Simpson. These are my notes from her explanation, not a verbatim quotation.
- Place your non-dominant hand on a page and draw around it.
- Inside the outline, write the care your hands have given today: to children, other people, pets and yourself. Start with this morning if that is easier.
- Outside the outline, explore anything you notice. Add words, colours or marks if you want to. There is no finished picture to get right.
- Look at what is there. Is there something you would like to change? Or does the page show care you value? Laura makes room for both responses.
Find My Amazing Hands, by Alice Simpson, in the free guides ↗
No notebook? Start with a note on your phone.
At the end of our conversation, Laura suggests a short written or voice note about the care you give. You do not need to buy anything to begin. There is room for difficult feelings as well as pride in what you do.
Journalling is a creative practice, not a replacement for mental-health or maternity care.
Meet the guest
Laura Godfrey-Isaacs
Laura Godfrey-Isaacs is an artist, writer, midwife and creative producer. Her work with Maternal Journal connects creative practice with the experience of pregnancy, birth and parenting.
More about Laura Godfrey-Isaacs ↗The books Laura recommends
Laura shows both of these books near the end of our conversation.
Maternal Journal
Laura Godfrey-Isaacs and Samantha McGowan; illustrations by Merlin Evans. A collection of creative journalling guides.
Explore the book ↗
Pregnancy and Birth: A Graphic Guide
Written by Laura Godfrey-Isaacs. Illustrated by Lilly Williams.
Explore the book ↗Keep going with Maternal Journal
Keep the conversation going
A note from me, in your inbox
Join me for The Cultural Edit: the stories I’m following and links I’d send a friend.
Read “I forgot myself. Again.” ↗
Get The Cultural Edit →