I like her.

I can't help it. I know Nikki McClure is really popular and everywhere I look and if for a moment I forget how that usually bugs me and turns me away I am honestly impressed and moved by her paper cuts. I love how simple the images are, how not simple the process must be, turning each corner and making delicate shapes with a blade or many different blades; how slow and thoughtful this handwork is. Also, I am drawn to parents who create and parent well at the same time. Bea has the book, "Awake to Nap" by her and on the back it says something I like very much,

"I made this book while my infant son napped. I could only cut the pictures while he slept so the pictures are small and quick gleanings from my new life as a mother.  The dining room table became my studio.  I would put down my pencil as lightly as possible so as not to disturb the baby, hoping for a few more moments of work before I, too, had to take a nap.

The alphabet was never finished intentionally; the naps were too short and life too thrilling to justify going all the way to Z. I no longer had the attention span and neither did my baby. We were too awake."

I love how we must incorporate our little ones into the lives we already had or the ones we want. It has to be the greatest example a parent can set: doing what you love and if a creative something is tugging at your shirt, take those moments in between everyone's needed naps and in between chores or forget the chores, just play the damn guitar.

Here is a fun interview with the talented Nikki McClure.