Parents that Write #4: Christin Thieme
Parents that Write #4: Christin Thieme
BOOM: This column brings music to your creative ears
Welcome to my weekly interview column.
When conversation turns to parent creatives - writers and artists, especially mothers - the focus often shifts to the chaos and supposed impossibility of juggling creativity with parenthood.
—> Let’s CUT THE NOISE:
Parents publish books, drop albums, get screenplays optioned, and pour their souls into poems every single day.
How do they do it? That’s what we’re here to uncover.
I’m delighted to showcase talented parent-writers and creators as they answer eight bite-size questions, plus a few more they pick from a juicy list I send their way.
But before we meet today’s guest, here’s a peek behind the scenes of my own creative life.
No-Fluff Notes from my Writing Life
As I take you into my motherhood book journey, I’m hoping there’s something here that strikes a chord with YOU. Drop me a comment and let me know what’s stirring for you, because of my story.
In earlier columns, I’ve shared how my wild, spur-of-the-moment escape to a rugged, remote island - with a pack of kids in tow - led me to some game-changing decisions about my motherhood book.
Back on the island, I bumped into another guest staying in an off-grid cottage.
Our place had the luxury of electricity and was conveniently close to the jetty, shop, and Village Hall (the only spot with a whisper of signal). This person, a seasoned islander, told me it’s rare for newcomers to come for a full fortnight straight away.
Apparently, the culture shock hits hard, so most people start with a week and build up.
But of course, I wasn’t thinking about that when I impulsively booked our stay over Twixmas.
By the time we’d fully immersed ourselves, we’d mastered our tick tournament - ‘competing’ for who found the most ticks each day, with extra points for the most absurd locations and a prize for the tiniest tick. We turned that daily nightmare into a sport.
I’d flicked through every book in the house and stumbled across one that chronicled the lives of creatives. That’s where I found myself deep in the story of Anais Nin, celebrated for her diaries and fiction steeped in history, feminism, and multiculturalism.
Alongside one of her lovers Gonzalo More, Nin set up her own private printing press, to preserve her groundbreaking voice, refusing to bow to the publishers who rejected her work.
I wasn’t exactly in Anais’s shoes - publishers were eager for my book. BUT they were pushing me to write a version I had little interest in.
By the time we loaded our bags onto the rib to head back to the mainland, I knew that the book my soul demanded had to come first - the one that would pave the way for what the publishers were chasing.
My digital disconnect led me to an anything-can-happen decision.
On that 950km drive home, with kids’ chatter swirling around me, I made a pact with myself: I’d pull an Anais Nin and launch my own publishing imprint.
Stick with me to find out how my plans went, muck ups included, in next week’s column!
Today’s fabulous guest is who writes Substack - this publication is for anyone who wants to slay their content strategy without crashing and burning.
Christin serves up practical, actionable advice on how to boss your content creation process, so you can crank out meaningful work on the regular, with purpose. It’s all about slicing through the clutter, simplifying your strategy, and keeping your sanity while you’re at it. And can we talk about how The Content Brief is delivered in quick, bite-sized chunks? Total lifesaver for those of us who are busy but still want to keep our content game on point.
Share a broad snapshot of your life. Who are you parent to and/or have caring responsibilities for?
I'm mommy to three boys ages 6 and under and I work full-time as editor in chief for The Salvation Army in the western U.S., based in the South Bay, about 20 miles outside Los Angeles. With a Master’s in specialized journalism and nearly two decades of international nonprofit communications and content marketing experience, I also taught journalism and communications for several years as an adjunct professor.
I never realized how much life someone could live before 9 a.m. but you learn quick as a parent! Most days are a true juggling act to get everyone to school/preschool/work with everything they need, to all of their activities and back home again—not to mention dinner, bath time and bedtime. It's wild but I wouldn't have it any other way.
Where can we find you?
Can you share favourite praise for your writing, or words you’d love to read about your work?
I love to host events and recently hosted The Content Summit on Substack. One attendee said:
"This summit was gold for me. I've only been a subscriber to various accounts on Substack, but the possibilities you've opened up to me... Just wow. I feel as if I've found the place I want to grow and bring others along with me. I was hyped about this event and it didn't disappoint."
I love that.
Why do you write?
I can't help it. I've always written in some form, starting with creating my own books as a kid. In college, I took a journalism elective and was hooked - even had to change universities to pursue a journalism degree. I love the art of gathering and piecing together information and the craft of telling a story that moves and motivates someone. There's nothing better.
What does the inside of your writing mind look like?
I picture it as a giant library card catalogue with cards of ideas falling out of the vintage drawers! I sometimes feel like I have more ideas than I know what to do with, which is why figuring out a simple and sustainable system has been so essential for me. Without somewhere to put the ideas, there's too much stress of trying to remember them.
How is your ability to write affected by being a parent and your ability to parent affected by your writing?
I've heard people say if you want something done to give it to a mom and I'd agree! Becoming a parent made me less "precious" with things. I know I have a set amount of time and I have to get it done so I do. I second-guess myself less and make decisions quicker out of necessity.
I also find a lot of my thinking time happens in the minutiae of parenting. I find myself outlining a piece while cleaning up crumbs after dinner or getting everyone bathed and in pajamas. They are absolutely two overlapping parts of me that can't be separated.
How often do you write with your children around or not, and what kind of writing do you get done when your child/ren are nearby?
It's definitely not my deep work time, but when they're around I jot a lot of bits and pieces in my Notes app. I can write a meaty outline right on my phone to fully flesh out once I'm back on my laptop, and I do that quite often.
What is your best writing habit and how did you discover it?
Having a plan.
There's nothing worse than sitting down to a blinking cursor on a blank page, and I almost never do that anymore. I think of writing more as a building process—gathering materials, prepping the site, laying the foundation, and so on.
I like to have a quarterly "roadmap" for what I plan to promote, which lets me then build a plan for helpful supporting content I want to create. Even with a vague direction for a post, I find my brain will go to work on that idea in the background so that when I get to the point of writing an outline, I already know somewhat where I want to go.
What are the three most important characteristics of being a writer who is a parent?
Curious. Creative. Consistent.
What or who is your secret writing weapon?
Going on a walk without any input from music or a podcast—just walking—will do wonders for your ideation and problem-solving.
What or who has been the most significant creative influence in your life?
My grandparents. They always cheered me on and supported my creativity - from applauding my fireplace performances to showing off my latest "book" to backing my necklace-making business to reading everything I've ever published and telling me how much they love it. They are no question the biggest source of my confidence and willingness to go for it.
What are your coping tactics for being (constantly) interrupted in your thought process?
This one is so tough for me! When I have an idea, it can be all-consuming and I can easily sit down and focus on executing it for hours and hours. Constant interruptions, obviously, do not go with that flow.
I've had to really intentionally acknowledge and accept that my time at home is focused on my family. I don't go into a Saturday with a writing to-do list. I'll take the time if it presents itself, but not having any expectations has helped me a lot. And I pair that with carved out time for me to work on my own projects, separate from my full-time job. I have one night a week that's my "work night" and my husband takes care of the evening routine. That gives me a weekly chunk of about 3 hours where I can plan to work and write with focus.
Do you use any productivity hacks like toggling, Pomodoro, Focusmate? Spill the beans.
I've spent years developing a sustainable content system that simplifies the planning, producing and publication of content. It's everything I've ever learned and tested to maintain a consistent presence with a simple planning system and workflow that accurately reflects your capacity and fully honors your energy.
Built into an Airtable dashboard, it's the ultimate workspace designed to save time and boost your content impact—especially coupled with my quarterly Content Planning Party. And finally, after three years of perfecting this template, I’m sharing my full system starting this September on The Content Brief. I can't wait!
What music do you listen to while writing? Share a playlist
I absolutely cannot write without music on. I don't know how people do it!
I actually have a "Ready to Write" playlist full of easy listens from Bob Dylan to Bon Iver. Enjoy!
An Encore
"Show up, show up, show up, and after a while the muse shows up, too.” -- Isabel Allende
Loved this interview 👏🏼
You’re both so inspiring, and yet you each have such different approaches and capacities to me.
I’m thankfully, mostly, past comparing and finding myself ‘less-than’, instead I cherry pick the little pieces, little permission slips that resonate and expand my own approach.
I love how Christin speaks about outlining a piece while she might be cleaning up crumbs etc. I think I’ve been overly boundaried with my thoughts, overly segmenting ‘this is not my writing time, therefore I can’t think about writing’ which of course puts a lot more pressure on the time I do have carved out to write.
So I’m keen to let the lines blur a little more - not block ideas or thoughts so much when I’m with my daughter, and watch out for the guilt monster that I’m ‘not being present enough’
I also MUST write to music. Ludovico Einaudi if I’m feeling blocked, he really moves me into my heart. And Binaural Beats for focus when I want something calm and steady so I stay in the zone. I can’t write to anything with lyrics, it’s way overstimulating for me!
Ahh thanks for having me, Danusia! That was fun! 🫶