A Gentle Shift at Studio Maria

Studio Maria is changing, not in a dramatic way, but in the quiet way most meaningful shifts happen—through paying attention.

For a long time, Studio Maria was a place where I made things. Products, designs, ideas born out of creativity and our collective motherhood experiences. And that season mattered.

But alongside the creating, I kept noticing the same undercurrent in conversations with other moms and in my own daily life: overwhelm, irritation that came out before I could stop it, guilt after reacting, and the constant sense of carrying too much emotionally.

I realized I didn’t need more things to do (and buy). I needed space.

Mindfulness used to feel intimidating to me. It sounded like something that required long stretches of quiet, perfect routines, or a kind of calm that didn’t exist in the middle of morning rush, dinner-to-bedtime chaos, or work hours when kids still need you constantly. But over time, I started to understand mindfulness differently—not as staying calm all the time, but as noticing what’s happening before reacting.

Noticing the tightness in my body before snapping.
Noticing the exhaustion underneath the anger.
Noticing the fear that often sits beneath guilt.

Noticing without judging. Noticing with compassion. 

That kind of mindfulness felt possible. And necessary.

Instead of asking, “How can I be more patient?” I began asking, “What am I holding right now?” The answer was rarely simple. Motherhood holds more than one truth at the same time: joy and fear, love and exhaustion, gratitude and grief. The problem isn’t that we feel these things. The problem is that we’re often taught to rush past them.

This is where Studio Maria is slowly shifting—away from just creating products and toward creating space. A space for moms who feel emotionally overwhelmed, who want to respond gently instead of reacting, who are tired of overthinking and carrying guilt, and who need tools that fit into real life.

This shift is why Holding Both exists—a short, reflective ebook meant to be a quiet companion rather than a manual. And it’s why Milk Tea Confessions was created—a free set of conversation cards to help moms move beyond small talk and into honest connection, without pressure.

Both are intentionally small. When you’re tired, small is kind.

Studio Maria is becoming a home for mindfulness in messy seasons of motherhood. Not mindfulness that asks you to fix yourself, but mindfulness that invites you to pause, notice, and hold what’s here with a little more awareness and grace.

This isn’t a direction for how to mother. It’s an invitation—to slow down, to name what you’re carrying, and to begin exactly where you are.

We're excited to share this space and watch it unfold with you ~ one mindful breath at a time. 

Love, Chesca