A mother, freelance writer & creative content creator in church, Natalie inspires all mothers to be the best version of themselves.
Check out our exclusive interview with her here!
Hello Natalie! Tell us more about yourself! What do you do full time?
Hi Sevenpie! I’m a mother (and slave) of two little cheeky ones, Amy and Alistair (the most demanding little bosses ever). Career-wise, I was a radio presenter and producer, before moving on to be a TV news presenter. I am currently on a break from the media industry, so now I am working at my church on a part-time basis, helping out with the creative arts department (drama and video productions specifically), while also doing freelance writing.
You’ve released your very own book recently! When did you first discover your passion for writing?
I’ve been writing ever since I can remember. It all started with the English essays we had to do in school (serious!) and I realized that I quite enjoyed writing. Then I started keeping a journal, before starting my blog many many many years ago. In my teenage years, I also experimented with poetry! I really like writing and have always believed in the power of the pen. Or, uh, in today’s term, the keyboard.
Baby Amy & Alistair are the cutest! Share with us the best highlight of your life as a mother! Do tell us the hardship of a young mother too.
Oh where do I begin! There are many highlights actually. Sometimes it could be something as simple as when Amy imitated us talking, or of course our first holiday as a family (before Alistair was born) to South Korea… Or the time when Amy ran over to the crib to pat Alistair when he was crying.
As for the hardship, well, I think young mothers today are under so much pressure to be so many things. Like, if you want to be a good mother you’ve got to exclusively breastfeed, cook organic meals for your family, keep your house looking Pinterest-worthy, have a fabulous career, have time for your girlfriends, and look hot while doing all the above. And sometimes it gets pretty intense.
Share with us some tips as a young mama!
First of all, it’s OK not to be perfect! At the end of the day, your kids benefit more when they have a happy and sane mom, rather than a clean and pretty house.
Some people have also asked me how to achieve balance between career and family. Honestly, I personally do not think it is humanly possible to have a perfect balance. Something always has to give. You have to choose, which is more important to you. I’m not saying that you completely sacrifice one for another, but you do have to accept that if you want to spend more time with your family, you’d have to spend less time at work, and vice versa. I don’t think there is a right formula or equation. It’s all up to you and what you and your family feel is best.
Also, there could be different seasons for different priorities. For example, you might need to spend more time on your family for now, then a few years later, you can spend more time on your job, etc.
What kind of activities do you spend time with your children?
Um, you mean besides the constant feeding and bathing and cutting their nails and forcing them to nap? Kidding. Well, I read to Amy a lot, and we sing together too. Besides that, we also do colouring and drawing together. Oh, and we also eat junk food together hahaha. #badmum
As for Alistair, since he’s still an infant, I basically nurse him all the time. That’s a really good bonding activity right there.
Describe your kids, Alistair and Amy!
They are so different! Let’s start with Amy. Amy is a burst of personality. Her voice is her weapon. She can be so LOUD! Her scream or her cry will stun you and burst your eardrums. She is also quite stubborn, has quite a temper, and isn’t really known to be patient haha. But at the same time, she can be such a darling and she loves to sing and dance, and can be really friendly and funny too.
Alistair on the other hand is this gentle and happy baby. If he wants to be carried, he will first try to charm you with his smile and babytalk. If that doesn’t work, he will start complaining and protesting. If all else fails, then and only then will he release a full-fledged cry. In fact, compared to Amy, Alistair has hardly cried and even when he cried, it was never as loud and nerve-wrecking as Amy’s cries. But then again, he is only 3 months old. I hope it will stay the same. I hope I’m not jinxing it. Please stay happy and calm and gentle, Alistair.
Tell us about your book, ‘Alexa’! How did you and your husband cope with Alexa’s passing?
My book ‘Alexa’ is like a journal of how I coped with the death of my firstborn. When I lost her in 2013, it was the toughest time in my life. My world crashed. Every day I wished it was just a dream, and that my baby would be OK when I woke up the next day.
I did what I did best to deal with my emotions – I wrote. I wrote about my feelings, about my thoughts, about my hopes and my fears. As I continued writing, I began to get emails and notes from mothers who had gone through similar losses. They told me that they had felt they were alone, until they read my entries on my blog, and they realized that someone else felt the same way. It gave them strength to pick up the pieces and move on. And I understood them completely, because when I lost Alexa, I was in a way craving for someone to tell me that they went through something similar and they survived the pain. I needed to know that I was not alone, and that my feelings were normal. So I decided that I would compile my entries and write a book, so that I can share my journey with more people and hopefully help someone in their season of grief and pain.
Where can we purchase the book?
At the moment, you can purchase the book from my blog, www.nataliesia.com. Hopefully soon you can find it at major bookstores in Malaysia.
Any favourite writers/poets? What is your favourite quote from them?
I love Mitch Albom. And Sophie Kinsella for the lighter reads! Favourite quotes… hmmm… I am a “quotes girl” and my favourite quotes change all the time.
But I guess at the moment, I do like this by Mitch Albom: ‘It is never too late or too soon. It is when it is supposed to be.’
What is a typical day in your life?
My day never really ends and never really starts because I’m still breastfeeding my son round the clock! But in the morning, when I wake up for real (sort of… in a zombie-like manner), I’d take my son downstairs so that he doesn’t disturb Amy who is still sleeping. I’d change him out of his pajamas, have my breakfast, catch up on emails and social media. When Amy is up, I’d make milk for her and change her out of her pajamas.
Then I’d get ready for work and go to my office, where I would plan for drama training, or conduct drama training, or work on video ideas with my colleagues, etc. After work, I’d go home and resume my mummy duties, i.e. feeding, bathing them, tucking them to bed, etc. When I was still a TV presenter, I’d have to go to the station after dinner to prepare for the midnight news. And if I have any freelance writing or sponsored blog posts pending, I would work on them whenever I have time at home.
What are you passionate about?
My husband and my kids! Besides that, I’m also passionate about acting and storytelling. Good movies, good shows, good acting and good stories make me very very happy.
Any life mottos?
All in God’s time.
Who is your all time inspiration in life?
It changes all the time, depending on the phase of life I’m in. Sometimes it could be Victoria Beckham because I admire her ability to be such a successful designer and a loving mom and wife. Or it could be Meryl Streep, for her dedication and talent in acting. Or it could be Sophie Kinsella for being able to write stories that connect and stick with her readers. Or it could be my friend who is a stay-home-mom with five kids, for being able to do all she does and still stay sane.
What is the ideal weekend for you?
Being able to SLEEP. ALL. DAY. Still hasn’t happened yet.
Tell us what makes you smile the most? ☺
My husband and my kids of course! Besides them, good desserts make me smile all the time!
