There are many voices in the world telling mothers what they are and aren’t once they become a mom. It seems in many cases, one of the loudest voices says that mothers are no longer their own person. And while there is certainly a huge shift in life that comes with motherhood, we love seeing mothers being celebrated not just for who they are to their children, but who they are entirely as a woman. Mother Muse does a gorgeous job as doing just this. Their fashion and lifestyle magazine (that feels much more like a keepsake coffee table book) features inspiring women and discusses the art of of slow living and modern motherhood with a raw, authentic, and honest approach. We got to hear from Mother Muse Founder and Editor, Shereen Jupp, on her passion for making sure mothers never feel alone in their experiences, how her background in the fashion industry has influenced her magazine, and the one question she asks every mother muse she interviews.
To start, you describe Mother Muse as “my love letter to you.” Where does your passion for celebrating mothers and motherhood stem from?
It all started after becoming a mother myself - becoming a mother at a younger age I struggled with postpartum depression and not feeling a connection to things I resonated with prior to motherhood.
In both your coffee table books and online content, you interview a wide range of mothers - from actresses like Selma Blair and Jaime King, to designers and artists like TyLynn Nguyen and Jaycina Almond, to CEO’s including Caitlin Crosby of The Giving Keys and Sarah Dubbeldam of Darling Media; not to mention many others. What values or characteristics do you look for when selecting women to share their stories?
Diversity, authenticity, and empowerment.
It’s important for me to showcase powerful women that have a voice that can impact some mothers who maybe aren’t ready to share their experiences or feel alone.
Your background in the fashion industry has certainly influenced the books, which feature such elegant, modern photography and design. Can you share a little about your career background, and how that inspired you to take such an editorial approach to creating something for mothers?
I was in the modeling industry and that definitely influenced the quality of editorial content I look for with the magazine. I also studied Journalism, business, and fashion merchandising, and while I was on maternity leave, I was a marketing lead for a well known Canadian company. All of that knowledge spun together helped me to focus on my branding and marketing for Mother Muse. I like to think all of these experiences lead me to this one great path, that and of course, motherhood.
Both the pieces and imagery in Mother Muse often take a very raw, honest approach to discussing and sharing the experience of motherhood. How have you seen this vulnerability impact other women (your readers)?
Being vulnerable and honest is an act of strength that connects us all together.
Motherhood itself is very raw, and approaching my readers with an open heart that brings us together has only been positive for Mother Muse.
This month at Yellow, we are focusing on our Heritage; looking at the impact our history has had on us, what we can learn from the generations before us, and how we can be inspired to leave a legacy of our own. How has your heritage influenced your work and life? How has it shaped the influences you want to leave with your children?
Both my parents are entrepreneurs and run their own business. That has definitely impacted and inspired me, and is probably what gave me the drive to want to pursue my own career. They both taught me a lot of core values, one of them being to work hard in everything that you do and love. I hope to pass that onto my children.
I love that you ask every woman you interview to describe herself in one sentence. What kind of empowerment do you think making this statement creates? How would you describe yourself in one sentence?
I think that empowerment comes again from a place of vulnerability and authenticity. It’s the kind of question that makes you feel a connection to yourself.
I would describe myself as the kind of woman that likes to beat to her own drum.
Who have been the top three Mother Muses in your own life? Why?
My mother, because she is an incredible, caring, and loving woman that I believe was destined to be a mother. She is always there for me and I can’t thank her enough.
Mother Nature, because without her life and nurturing in the aspects of nature would cease to exist.
Christy Turlington Burns; I absolutely admire everything she does with her organization Every Mother Counts and her devotion to global maternal health.
At the present moment, what are your greatest hopes for the future of Mother Muse, as well as for all women who are mothers?
I hope for it to continue to flourish, grow, inspire, and connect us together as mothers in a way that is beautiful, authentic, raw, and honest.
Images courtesy of Mother Muse Magazine