All Of My Days: How motherhood helped Kerri Cunningham rediscover creativity

Parents

06 March 2026

Image: Author Kerri Cunningham.

Kerri Cunningham

For many parents of school-aged children, creativity can feel like something that belonged to a former version of ourselves, before packed lunches, spellings, swimming lessons and the endless emotional load of raising small humans. For the artist behind Murphy’s Sketches, motherhood didn’t silence creativity. It quietly brought it back.

People often assume Murphy is her name. It isn’t. As Kerri explains, “People often think that my name is Murphy, or my surname is Murphy, but it’s actually the name of my eldest son. When I started the Instagram account, I never thought in a million years that it would transform into what it has!”

What began as something small, a creative outlet in the margins of motherhood, slowly grew into a deeply loved space of sketches, poetry and gentle reflections that resonate with thousands of mothers navigating similar seasons of life.

Rediscovering the pencil

After studying fine art, Kerri’s path didn’t immediately lead into a creative career. “After university I left home, moved to Manchester and got a job in retail to pay my rent. It didn’t really ever cross my mind to try and work as an artist because it seemed like I just simply wasn’t good enough.”

That feeling, of not quite being ‘good enough’ to pursue creativity seriously, is one many parents will recognise, especially in a world that pushes measurable success. When she became a mum, something shifted.

“It wasn’t really until I had Murphy that I picked up a pencil again and used art as a way to escape, to take time out of being a mum to just go and create something. There wasn’t that same pressure there was at university to be making something worthwhile, I was just making things and having fun.”

With two more children arriving, her work evolved alongside her motherhood.

“I went on to have two more children and shared more and more about motherhood or just even silly little sketches of positivity and everyday things and that’s when it took off.”

What resonates so deeply about her work, particularly for parents in the thick of school life, is that it doesn’t strive for perfection. It strives for meaning.

Creating meaning, not masterpieces

Reflecting on how her fine art degree shaped her approach, Kerri admits it’s complicated.

“It’s an interesting question because in some ways I think it made me question myself a lot of the time and still does sometimes. Some of the things I create probably go against everything I was taught in my degree! I make simple things that make me, and other people happy. They aren’t always a masterpiece!” But one lesson stayed with her.

“We were always taught to create things with meaning and I suppose that’s what I’m aiming to do now is to create things that make people feel something.” Her illustration style still carries echoes of her early influences. “For my degree show I made these black ink drawings that were based on old school children’s book illustrations. I still think my style is quite old fashioned in some ways, and maybe it stems from back then. Looking back, I wish I’d studied illustration!”

There’s something reassuring in her honesty, especially for parents raising children in a culture of comparison. Meaning matters more than mastery.

Words first, always

Although Kerri’s work spans sketches and poetry, she explains that the starting point is almost always language. “I think for me now words always come first. Even if it’s just a sentence, they are always the first thing to come to mind. Writing things down really helps me, my notes section on my phone is a jumble of every emotion I’ve ever felt!”

From there, the process unfolds depending on the piece. “Then it depends what sort of theme I want to write about whether it would come with an illustration. Sometimes words are enough and other times I feel like it needs that visual aspect to it.” Books take time, layers of drafting, sketching and colour. “In terms of books again the words come first, then it would be a rough set of sketches which might be done and redone multiple times and once they feel right then it’s working in colour. It’s a long process!” But not everything is painstaking. “Sometimes the poems or the sketches I share online are just wrote out really quickly at the end of the day.”

Finding pockets of joy

Motherhood is the thread running through everything Kerri creates. “I love the little things in life, sounds silly but I think if you can find a little pocket of happiness in even a rubbish day then life just feels a little bit easier. So, I’m always waffling on about all the little joys that life throws our way.”

And she doesn’t shy away from the depth of it. “Motherhood heavily influences all of my writing of course, I feel very deeply all of the time! So, I find that writing down my thoughts really helps me to process them.”

As she’s spoken more about her youngest son’s autism diagnosis, her community has grown in meaningful ways. “As I speak more about my experience with youngest son who is diagnosed with autism I feel like more mums are finding my page who are going through similar things. I feel really lucky to have such supportive followers who understand my feelings and have had similar experiences.” For parents navigating additional needs alongside school routines and everyday pressures, that sense of shared understanding can be invaluable.

The heart behind All Of My Days

Her new book, All Of My Days, gathers together poetry she’s written over recent years. “All Of My Days is a collection of some of the poetry I’ve been writing over the last few years inspired by motherhood. I’ve wanted to write this book for a long time so I am very grateful that Fox & Ink publishers helped me bring it into the world.”

More than anything, she hopes it feels like companionship. “I want mothers to feel like they can relate to the emotions within the pages and I want it to be a companion to their motherhood. I hope that it reminds mums of their own lives and experiences with their own children.”

One page in particular holds special meaning. “I think one of my favourite pages and favourite poems is I’m a Mum, which basically says that we’re all doing our best, which looks different for everyone and that we should support and not judge one another.”

The quiet power of art

Kerri believes deeply in the role creativity plays in wellbeing. “Busy hands can quiet a busy mind I always feel. It can be a distraction, or it can help you work through emotions and feelings.”

And just as importantly: “Enjoying other people’s art or writing can be such a support if you see someone expressing what you feel you can’t with words or art work – it can make you feel seen and validated. Or simply it can provide an escape when the world feels too loud.”

For many parents, especially in the intense primary school years, that sense of being seen can make all the difference. Her advice for anyone longing to reconnect with their own creativity is refreshingly simple: “Just make a start, don’t think so much about the final outcome just enjoy the process.”

And if you’re picturing a dreamy artist’s studio, think again. Her favourite place to create is much more relatable: “I have a very tiny office in our house but it’s a little bit messy and the lighting isn’t great so I prefer to sit at the table in the kitchen hopefully with some sunlight streaming in and the dog sat at my feet!”

Image: Cover of All Of My Days by Kerri Cunningham

Win a copy of All Of My Days

We’re delighted to be giving one parent the chance to win a copy of All Of My Days, just in time for Mothering Sunday.

If you’re in the thick of raising school-aged children, juggling reading records, friendship dramas, packed lunches and your own ever-evolving identity, this book promises to feel like a gentle companion.

Enter now for your chance to win and bring a little pocket of poetic calm into your everyday.

Terms and conditions apply. Competition closes on 10th March 2026.