Renaissance Motherhood

I came across the term ‘Renaissance woman’ in an Evie Magazine article several months ago and it immediately resonated with me. It felt like a refined evolution of a word I’ve long used for myself: a dabbler — but framed in a way that sounded more educated and intentional. Much like how I like to think I’ve grown in my thirties, especially now as a wife and a new mother.

The Renaissance is defined as a period marked by a resurgence of classical learning and wisdom — a revival, or a renewed interest in something. It is most often associated with figures like Leonardo da Vinci: painter, sculptor, architect, scientist, engineer, and theorist. A man who excelled in many vocations, not just one.

“Women are natural artists because rooted in their very biology is the potential for creating life. We're creative beings at our very core, and this element of who we are as women can be expressed in many ways”

(Riley, How To Be A Modern Renaissance Woman).

You may feel unsure about your own creative abilities, but creativity extends far beyond traditional artistic expression. You can be creative in the way you put food on the table, creative in how you make ends meet, and creative in how you organize the endless clutter of daily life. I believe everyone is more creative than they realize. In today’s convenience- and instant-gratification-driven society, many of us simply don’t challenge ourselves enough to access that creative thinking.

Scripture affirms this, too. In passages like Exodus 35:31–33 and Ephesians 2:10, we see that God instills creative thinking and skill within us. If we are made in His image, and all of creation reflects His glory, how could we not also reflect His creativity (Isaiah 64:8; Psalm 19:1)? Through Him, we share this creative capacity — given for purpose, as a way to express our faith and glorify God.

A Renaissance woman, then, is the modern counterpart to da Vinci: a woman with broad interests and layered expertise. I often remind myself that it’s okay not to be an expert in just one area. There is freedom in embracing the natural tendency to explore many interests and passions, allowing curiosity to lead the way. Those close to me can attest to how I jump from hobby to hobby, not always finishing one project before starting another. But I believe that variety — not singularity — is what makes life rich.

“There are many undeveloped Renaissance women out there who likely don't even realize that's who they are. A significant number of women have been misled into thinking that we have to narrow ourselves to fit into one box or another in order to be successful. When we're willing to take on the challenge of not only discovering who it is we are, but building that person with intention, we allow for the opportunity to become the best versions of ourselves” (Riley, How To Be A Modern Renaissance Woman).

Renaissance Motherhood is simply taking this idea one step further: a Renaissance woman who is also a mother.

“Despite what many believe, becoming a mother doesn't in any way hold back a woman with strong drive from accomplishing her goals and pursuing many passions. And if it's what a woman desires, building a family and raising the next generation is something that can accompany your many interests, not detract from them” (Riley, How To Be A Modern Renaissance Woman).

Renaissance motherhood (noun): a philosophy of motherhood that views raising children and a woman’s own growth as deeply intertwined — honoring curiosity, faith, creativity, and learning, while rejecting the idea that motherhood diminishes her fullness or calling.

Think of the knowledge passed down from our mothers and grandmothers: the recipes that evoke warmth and memory, the practical skills that kept households running, the stories of resilience and perseverance that taught patience and endurance. The women who came before us often held a broader working knowledge of daily life than many of us do today. Though information now sits at our fingertips, without the internet, how many of us would feel completely lost? These women are living links to the past — offering context, wisdom, and embodied knowledge no search engine can replace.

Renaissance Motherhood weaves together creative pursuits with inherited wisdom. It emphasizes nurturing, curiosity, and intellectual engagement, reflecting the ideals of the Renaissance itself — a time when individuals sought to cultivate many skills and forms of knowledge. A Renaissance mother balances traditional caregiving with active learning, creativity, and personal growth, integrating her interests into family life rather than setting them aside.

By allowing the knowledge of the past to inform how we live and how we raise our children, this philosophy offers a holistic vision of motherhood — one that affirms a woman’s ability to embrace many roles and callings. It is a balance of love, learning, and creativity that enriches not only her life, but the lives of those around her.

Renaissance Motherhood, for me, is not about doing more or becoming everything all at once. It is about refusing to disappear. It is about tending both the visible work of motherhood and the invisible work of becoming — slowly, imperfectly, and with intention.

I believe motherhood does not narrow a woman’s life; it expands it. It deepens her capacity for wonder, creativity, faith, and wisdom. It invites her into a fuller humanity, not a smaller one.

I believe God does not diminish a woman through motherhood, but refines her — shaping her through love, responsibility, and growth, and inviting her to steward both her gifts and her calling with faithfulness.

If you feel the pull to keep learning, creating, and growing alongside your children — not despite them — you are not alone.

It is a life lived with curiosity and care.

A life rooted in faith, shaped by learning, and open to growth.

Motherhood, lived fully.

Curious. Rooted. Renaissance.