Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Natalie Diaz. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Natalie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I learned through a mix of motherhood, creative instinct, and pure necessity. I’ve always had a background in design, but it wasn’t until I became a mom that I started creating tools to make learning at home feel magical, hands-on, and doable — not just for my kids, but for me too. I needed screen-free activities, sensory play setups, and printable journals that aligned with our rhythm as a family — so I started designing them myself.

If I could go back and speed up my learning process, I’d give myself permission to start messy and post imperfect content sooner. I spent too long waiting until things looked “ready” — but what actually moves the needle is showing up and letting real families connect with your work in progress. Done is better than perfect.

The most essential skills were adaptability, storytelling, and visual communication. You have to be able to take a creative idea and translate it into something useful for a parent who has 10 minutes, a toddler climbing the furniture, and no bandwidth to prep anything. Design is just one part of it but empathy is the real engine.

My biggest obstacles were time and self-doubt. Balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship means you’re constantly being pulled in different directions, and it’s easy to feel like you’re not doing enough. I had to learn to work in sprints, trust my gut, and find small, sustainable ways to build momentum without getting burnt out. I’m still learning that but I’m proud of how far it’s come.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m a designer, creative mom, and founder of Hey It’s The Creative Mom, a small but growing brand dedicated to creating meaningful, screen-free activities for toddlers and preschoolers. I specialize in printable journals, sensory play, and hands-on learning experiences designed for real families, especially busy moms who want to offer their kids something enriching without the overwhelm.

My journey into this space was very organic. I’ve always had a background in design, but it wasn’t until I became a mom that I realized how hard it can be to constantly come up with engaging, educational, low-prep activities, especially ones that aren’t glued to a screen. So I started creating what I wish existed: beautifully designed, printable journals that blend play, nature, creativity, and learning in a way that feels calm, intentional, and doable.

Over time, this evolved into a full line of printables and a growing audience of parents looking for exactly that, screen-free tools that feel aligned with slow living, Montessori principles, and a love for creativity. I now offer products like thematic journals (STEAM, nature-based, sensory), printable scavenger hunts, and I’m currently expanding into cards and even mockups for a sensory subscription box.

What sets my work apart is that it’s not just cute or educational, it’s rooted in real parenting. I build these resources while juggling life, laundry, and two little ones running around me. Every product I release has been tested (and often co-designed!) by my own kids. They’re practical, minimal-prep, and grounded in connection. My brand isn’t polished perfection — it’s real, creative motherhood with heart.

I’m most proud of the fact that I’ve built all of this from scratch while being a full-time mom. The messages I get from other parents saying “thank you for making this easy” or “my child loved this” mean everything to me. My work is for the moms who are trying their best, who want to be present, and who crave simple ways to bring more creativity into their everyday life.

If there’s one thing I want people to know about my brand, it’s this: everything I make is built from love, trial and error, and a desire to give kids the kind of childhood memories that feel warm and tactile, cutting paper, digging through sensory bins, coloring under a blanket fort. That’s the kind of magic I’m trying to help create.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is seeing something that started in my head, usually during a chaotic moment of parenting come to life in a way that brings joy and connection to another family. It’s that moment when a parent messages me saying, “My child lit up doing this activity,” or “This journal helped us connect on a rainy day.” That’s the gold.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Resilience, for me, doesn’t show up in some dramatic moment. It shows up daily. It’s when I’m running on four hours of sleep because the kids were up all night, and I still squeeze in time to finish designing a journal page. It’s when I’m cleaning up lunch, answering a million toddler questions, and still make space to film a quick reel or update my Etsy listings.

There’s never a perfect moment to grow a business as a mom, especially with young kids. But every day, even when I’m exhausted, I choose to keep going. I remind myself why I started: to create something meaningful, not just for my kids, but for other families looking for screen-free, enriching activities that actually work.

Some days, I only have 20 minutes to make progress. But I take it. And that’s what resilience has looked like for me, showing up tired, messy, overwhelmed… but still showing up.

It’s not glamorous. It’s not fast. But it’s mine. And it’s growing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Heyitsthecreativemom
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyitsthecreativemom