Mint Rainbow
Meet Katy Towse author, mother, and founder of Mint Rainbow
We caught up with her to discuss her book, motherhood and the importance of having open conversations about mental health.
As a writer and blogger, Katy is all about words. She is the proud mother of three beautiful blondies (Alfie 7, Evie 4 and Rory who is almost 2). Katy writes about all sorts of topics, ranging from maternal mental health, body positivity, lifestyle, fashion, supporting local businesses to the day-to-day realities of parenting.
She is also the founder of Mint Rainbow Consulting, a marketing consultancy providing small businesses with bespoke strategic support in PR, Brand and Social Media. Mintrainbow workshops and support packages to a variety of businesses but her focus is mostly on working with Mum-run and Kent-based businesses. With over 15 years of experience in PR, Marketing and Copywriting for a range of industries and businesses from film to tourism to beauty and everything in between including Pathe, Paramount Pictures, Curzon Cinemas, Way to Blue, the V&A and Visit Kent.
In her own words..
I’m pretty normal. I love the beach. And the colour pink. Big fan of coffee. And cake. And working out. And dancing. And peonies. (Would I even be a blogger if I didn’t like peonies?!) And dresses with trainers. And leopard print. And cosy knits. And sunshine. And reading. And Schitt’s Creek. And wine. And coffee again. And the kids. Most of the time. I’d say at least 65% of the time. Maybe 70%.
Can you tell us a bit about what you do? What is Mint Rainbow?
Mint Rainbow has kind of evolved over the years! It started life as an organic childrenswear brand which was one of my (many!) maternity leave projects that took on a life of its own! I decided to wind down the making side of things after a successful few years, but the Instagram account had grown so much, as had my lovely community of followers, that I decided to carry on blogging. During Covid my followers grew as I shared the challenges of home schooling a school child, a pre school child and nursing a newborn with as much humour as I could muster! I also developed my website (www.mintrainbow.co.uk) and Consulting Business during the pandemic too which has been going from strength to strength over the last two years as more and more small businesses are finding their time being stretched and in need of marketing, social and PR support. So it’s an accidental umbrella brand of sorts – encapsulating all my projects and roles – I’m still on a friends phone as ‘Mint Rainbow Kat’ from years ago, which I guess sums it up really!
You are a proud mum of three and run your own business, how do you manage to keep all the wheels in motion?
I am not going to lie, it isn’t easy. I am an organisational whizz (always have been!) but still really struggle to keep my head above water sometimes. I’m a little prone to a good old crash and burn and have to keep a check on myself and my own mental health as I can definitely have a wobble from time to time. Practically speaking, my littlest goes to a childminder three times a week and I pack a huge amount into school hours. I work on my phone constantly, during toddler nap times and between 3 and 4 evenings a week once all three kids are down. It’s a constant juggle. It’s my choice to pack my hours in this way as it means I’m there for all the school runs and clubs but occasionally it does feel a bit relentless. My husband Mark can also juggle a fair bit post 4 pm and my amazing Mum is a huge support in picking up the slack with collections and sick days when we can’t quite make it all work. Oh, and I bloody LOVE a list!
Where are you based and how does this connect with what you do?
When I worked in the film industry I lived in London but we moved back to Kent and hometown of Folkestone before we had our first son. Folkestone is an incredible place to live (it just gets better and better!) and it’s intrinsically linked to what I do – the appetite down here now for community, art and creativity is amazing and therefore the economy is thriving with small businesses, a foodie revolution and incredible makers. It just so happens there’s also lots of people needing marketing support and lots of like-minded business owners and families enriching the online and real-life worlds down here!
What led you to write your book 'A Tide Inside'?
Unfortunately, I lost my Dad to Motor Neurone Disease just over two years ago. He was the heart and soul of our family, everyone’s favourite person and really just a pretty special guy. Everyone thinks that about their person of course, but Dad was something else. The best Grandad you could ever have imagined for Alfie and Evie, when he died, the whole family struggled to make sense of it but it was Alfie who suffered (suffers) the most. During the first lockdown Alfie was finding it hard to articulate his feelings and dealing with so much change, from losing Dad, not seeing Mum, school closures, not seeing friends, to living in a strange mid-pandemic world.
We did everything! We researched and read the grief books, we spoke to the GP and to Cruse Bereavement Support, we made memory books and we talked about him daily. I think it was all of this that led to me writing The Tide Inside. I wanted to write a book for Alfie that focussed on the range of feelings that present in grief. Something that was simple and straight down the time as opposed to whimsical or metaphorical. And something that genuinely presented support strategies and would help parents talk to their children about their feelings….so I wrote one!
Talking about death is difficult in any circumstance so finding a way to talk about it to children can feel quite daunting. How important do you think it is to have open conversations with children about bereavement?
It’s vital. Children learn and mimic the behaviours of those around them so it’s essential that we present death and grief in an open, healthy way. I have always let the children see my sadness (sometimes, there’s no choice in the matter) and have always been open to their questions. And there are a lot! And they still keep coming years later. It’s confusing and overwhelming for adults to make sense of so imagine being 2, or 3 or 4 years old when it happens. It’s essential that they feel they can ask their questions, remember their loved ones and let all their feelings out and this is what the book recommends too.
Mental health and motherhood is something that is still not talked about openly enough. What can we do to normalise these conversations?
I think it has come a long way in the last five years and we’ve made huge strides with these conversations in certain areas. For example, when I suffered with severe anxiety after the birth of my first child, I genuinely had no idea what was happening to me but now on social platforms there are so many incredible bloggers, communities and resources out there working to normalise and support mothers with mental health issues and this can only be a good thing. Having dealt with hormonal anxiety on and off throughout all my pregnancies and post-natal periods, I personally have felt less and less alone with it over the years as more and more people are asking for help and sharing their truths. I think there is still a long way to go in other areas though - in the workplace for example there is a lot of work to be done by businesses and employers to support mothers and parents in general with a range of issues affecting parents from flexible working, maternity pay and of course mental health support).
We also need to see and hear more about the possibilities of maternal mental health issues during pre-natal appointments, birth preparation classes and support groups in order to prepare, stay informed and develop coping strategies and techniques.
Social Media can make anyone who might be struggling feel even more isolated. Even though we know that Instagram images can often be deceiving, it’s hard not to feel like you might be the only one finding things hard. Do you have any advice for any new mothers out there who might be going through a tough time?
I think finding your community is vital – online and IRL!. It’s hard to put yourself out there, to join that NCT group, to reach out to that other mother at the Children’s Centre or the Doctors surgery or to sign up to that baby class on Zoom - but I’ve never heard of a single mother that regretted those decisions. There is so much support and comfort in solidarity and finding your tribe can be that point of difference between thriving and sinking. I think my advice will always be to try and find the courage to reach out, to speak up. You don’t have to blog to the masses, even just striking up a conversation at the park could change your day, your week, your year. Or if it’s too overwhelming to seek support in real life, then an online community can also be a game changer. Social media can actually be a saviour for women struggling to connect, particularly during the pandemic of course, and provide safe spaces to vent, ask questions, seek reassurance and get much-needed support.
If you want to know more about Katy and Mint Rainbow
IG @mintrainbow_mama
IG @mintrainbow_consulting
LINKTREE: https://linktr.ee/mintrainbowmama