Taylor Crawford

Life is bursting with creativity for this mom of two, who gets her inspiration from kids.

Family comes first.

All families are unique. Tell us about yours.

Our family doesn’t fit a traditional mold. I share two incredible boys with one of my best friends, and we’ve worked hard to build a solid co-parenting relationship rooted in mutual respect and a whole lot of love for our kids.

We’re a water family through and through. Summer or winter, you’ll find us at the pool or the river every day. We also prioritize imagination. There’s a lot of storytelling, book reading, art making and pretending around here. Creativity is such an integral part of who we are.

When did you know you wanted to be a mom?

I’ve always been a nurturer. I was the kid carrying around baby dolls, playing house and looking for someone or something to take care of. I think motherhood was inherent in me from the start.

Tell us about one of your proudest mom moments.

Anytime I catch a glimpse of our family values showing up in my kids organically. Curiosity, empathy, confidence, inclusivity, creativity...seeing those traits reflected back through them is incredibly special.

Now tell us about one of your most humbling mom moments.

My second-born has completely humbled my view of parenting. Sawyer is fiercely independent and has quite the temper. Raising a strong-willed child is new territory for me, but I have a feeling that his traits challenging me today will become some of his greatest strengths and attributes to society.

What is the most surprising thing you have found wedged between the sofa cushions or behind a car seat?

A whole shrinking machine! I asked Louie if he’d seen the remote and without missing a beat he told me to check the shrinking machine, pointing to the gap between the couch and the wall. Sure enough, there was an impressive collection of tiny objects that had vanished over the last few weeks.

We’re all moms so we know that no one is perfect all of the time, or even some of the time. Tell us about your most recent “Mother of the Year” moment. You know, like forgetting to pick the kids up from school.

On a recent overnight trip, I forgot shoes for all of us. Not shoe options, shoes in general. Myself included.

What is something you swore you would never do before kids that you now do (skip showers, go to a drive through coffee in your pjs, etc.)?

Screen time. I had a lot of parenting philosophies and then I had children. I love our Saturday morning cartoons and cuddling up for special movie nights.

In what way are your children like you? How are they different?

I see little pieces of myself in both of my boys, but they’re so wonder-fully their own people. Louie has my sensitive heart. He’s deeply empathetic and very affected by the energy and people around him, but he’s far more theatrical and expressive than I ever was. Sawyer and I share a determined, independent, stubborn streak, but he’s much more naturally affectionate than me. He’s our little hugger and snuggler.

No one works harder than mom.

We know that being a mom is a full-time job. How do you balance (or not) motherhood, activities, work, volunteering, household responsibilities, and life in general? What sometimes falls through the cracks?

I’ve had to stop seeking balance, honestly. Some days my studio needs more of me, and other days motherhood does. I’ve had to give myself permission to let life teeter like that instead of expecting or putting the pressure on myself to make every day evenly divided. I think, like most parents, my own needs tend to fall to the bottom of the list. I’m still figuring that part out, but I've been working on allowing myself to take up a little more space. I find solace in the little routines like daily movement and making art.

Tell us about your work or volunteerism outside of the home.

I own Two Suns Art Studio + Makerspace. I get to spend my days teaching art to kids and helping adults reconnect with their creative side and rediscover that child-like confidence to create. It’s an absolute dream job, and I feel incredibly grateful that my life paths have led me here.

What have you learned professionally that has helped you as a mom?

I’ve learned that my to-do list will never actually be finished. There will always be another email to answer, another load of laundry, another thing waiting for tomorrow. I had to stop telling myself I'd slow down once everything was done and start carving out consistent space for those slow moments instead. I have to be very intentional about putting the list on the back burner and being fully present. Especially while my boys are still so little.

Tell us about a recent achievement you’re proud of, or a personal passion or talent.

I recently ran into a group of parents outside the studio, and they told me they had all met through one of our Toddler Art Play classes and still get together often. Community and connection are such a huge part of why I started Two Suns, and it felt like a real, tangible example that what we’re building is working. That was a pretty special moment.

When was the last time you failed? What did you learn?

Every day. Shoutout to my fellow parents and small business owners, you know what I mean! Failure used to really get to me. Now I see it more as information to carry forward with. Recently, I realized

I have been greatly overcommitting and overplanning, and it reminded me how important it is to set boundaries and say no sometimes. I’ve learned that if I don't protect my time and my energy, I end up burnt out, and I’m not the best version of myself, for my kids or my business.

If mom’s not happy, nobody’s happy.

Tell us about your upbringing. How did it shape the mother you are today?

I think every generation takes some things with them and leaves other things behind as they become parents. What I took from my parents was how they encouraged my interests. If I was curious about trying something new, they supported it. I also really valued our family dinners, and it’s important to me that my boys and I share meals around the table whenever we can. There are a few things I've approached differently with my own boys. I grew up feeling like I should always be put together: hair brushed, shoes on, looking presentable. My boys and I live a little more feral. If they don’t want to wear shoes, they don’t. We often leave the house barefoot with messy hair and wrinkled clothes. We’re a bit chaotic, and I love that about us.

Where did you grow up, and how did it influence you?

I grew up in Klamath Falls. I smile thinking about our neighborhood full of kids. We’d walk to school, ride our bikes to the corner store and run home when the streetlights came on. My best friend lived three houses down, and almost every summer day one of the neighborhood moms fed us lunch. Looking back, I think that street is where I learned what a community should look and feel like.

What do you think is the most important life skill or value your parents taught you?

They both taught me the value of hard work: my dad as a cattle rancher and my mom dedicating more than 25 years to the same dental practice. In their own ways, they also showed me what it looks like to care for others. My mom spent countless hours volunteering at our local food pantry, and my dad went above and beyond to make sure his employees and their families were well taken care of. As hard as they worked, I never felt like success was measured by money. It was about doing work you love and having enough to care for the people around you. I'll always be grateful for this perspective they gave me.

What is something you will never do again?

Take a full night of sleep and a lazy morning for granted!

Which good habit do you wish you started earlier?

Breathwork. It’s such a simple practice, but it's been one of the most powerful tools I’ve found.

What is the quality you like most about yourself?

I genuinely love people. Connecting with them, learning from and alongside them, and growing together is one of my favorite parts of being human. I believe we’re all here to take care of one another, and for me, that begins with genuine human connection.

If you could instantly have one new skill (i.e. foreign language, musical talent, eyes in the back of your head, etc.), what would it be?

It would be so cool to have the ability to step into photographs and works of art. I’d love to wander around inside them and see the world through the artist’s eyes or experience the moment they captured.

Tell us something about you that would surprise people who don’t know you.

As much as I love connecting with people, I'm actually a major introvert. I recharge best with solitude.

It’s Saturday afternoon and you suddenly find yourself at home alone for a few hours (we know, it never happens). What do you do?

Make something! My list of art, craft and DIY projects is endless. Give me a few uninterrupted hours alone to put on some good tunes and create something...that’s heaven.

What is your least/most favorite household chore?

Dishes. Wet food is the worst.

What’s your guilty pleasure? (dark chocolate hidden in the pantry, TJ Maxx, daily latte habit?)

Art supplies, clearly. I've collected so many over the years that I eventually had enough

to open my own studio. I get way too excited wandering the aisles of an arts and crafts store.

Who is your favorite fictional hero? Who is your favorite real-life hero?

Public school teachers. They are some of the most dedicated, passion-ate and well-educated people I know. They give so much of themselves to their students, far beyond what anyone sees, and they deserve so much more recognition than they get.

Outside of your family members, who/what inspires you to be better?

Kids. Always kids. There’s so much we have to remember and learn from them.

What is something you think everyone should do at least once in their lives?

Find something that makes you feel wonderfully small. Climb a mountain, lay under the stars...anything that reminds you we are part of something much bigger than ourselves.

Listen to mom.

Is motherhood what you expected? What surprised you the most?

Yes and no. It’s harder in a lot of ways, and just one of those things you can’t fully understand until you’re living it. It’s also every bit as amazing as I’d hoped. The biggest surprise has been that my boys brought me back to myself, to a version of me I didn’t realize had been missing for so long and

that I needed back so badly.

What’s the best advice you’ve received from another mom?

That it’s okay to say motherhood is hard or unenjoyable at times. Once I stopped feeling guilty for admitting that, I started being a lot kinder to myself.

What advice would you give your younger mom self? What do you wish you knew then that you know now?

That the sleep regressions will pass. It never feels like it in the moment, but before you know it, they’ve outgrown it.

What message would you like to share with other moms? Remember to tell it like it is.

Comparison can steal a lot of the joy from motherhood. It’s so easy to look at another parent and wonder if they’re doing it better or doing more. I get asked all the time how I run a business with two little kids, as if I've somehow figured it all out. I haven’t. There have been months that nearly broke me. At the same time, I’ve looked at stay-at-home moms and wondered if I should be doing something different. Throw in a few social media reels convincing us we’re failing because of xyz, and it’s no wonder we second-guess ourselves. I hope we can spend a little less time comparing and a little more time trusting that we’re exactly the moms our children need. And when that doubt creeps

in, ask your kids what they love about you. I think you’ll remember pretty quickly that you're irreplaceable.

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MOM’s favorite...

Tell us about your favorite...

...place to find some peace & quiet: My yoga mat or sketchbook.

...way to get out of making dinner: Throw fridge remnants in a snackle box and go for a picnic.

...inspirational quote: “The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.”

...time-saving digital tool: Audio Messages and speech-to-text. I don’t even remember how to text with my thumbs at this point.

...parenting philosophy: “Let them be little.” I feel like society puts so much pressure on raising future adults that sometimes the wonder and absolute magic of their little brains get pushed aside.

MOMs love local...

We love locally owned businesses, restaurants, places and organizations. Share your favorite...

...shop to pick up a gift for friend: FOUND Natural Goods

...coffee spot: The Pantry

...spot to get a good workout: Namaspa and/or local trails

...restaurant to take the kids: Active Culture

...take-out, food truck or quick bite: The Dominican Food Cart

...meetup spot for happy hour: Five Fusion

...boutique to find a new shirt: Vanilla Clothing Co

...local park where kids can let off steam: Shevlin Park

...event in your community: Munch & Music

...any other local places you love: McMenamins Old St. Francis School Soaking Pool