Most of us would admit to having panicky, late-night thoughts while pregnant in which we questioned whether we should have children or wondered if we would remain the same people after giving birth. Those of us who anticipated going back to work after having children may have worried about our ability to remain dedicated to our careers. A supporter expressed concern that Tigist’s career would suffer as a result of her new role as a mother when she announced her pregnancy. She feared that the artist wouldn’t be able to match their earlier work. When you have this child, either he/she/it will suffer or your job will suffer, she reasoned. Palmer shared her own concerns about “losing her identity as an artist” when she has children in an open letter that was published on Medium. She wondered if she had children, would I become a dull, unimportant, ignorable artist, afraid of becoming a dull, unimportant, ignorable artist. Would I start singing about balance all of a sudden…? Would I become that annoying parent who is so preoccupied with their child that it’s impossible to have a thoughtful conversation with them about art because they’d rather show you iPhone photos of their toddler drooling mashed carrots?”
