Motherhood and Communication: Kelly’s Helsinki
Kelly Purcell has always been fascinated by people who can tell a good story. Whether it is through a single photograph, a dinner table anecdote, or a highly produced movie.
Kelly realised that creating content is a chance to practice that skill in a very accessible way, and living in Finland was the first time that she felt like having something valuable to communicate to others on a larger scale.
Read the story of doctoral researcher, storyteller and mother Kelly Purcell and find out why she loves Helsinki.
Koti. 家. Chez toi. Home. Wherever you’re from.
In Helsinki, family wellbeing is celebrated
The first videos Kelly made were almost out of a sense of obligation. She felt a need to share what motherhood is like in Finland because it is so drastically different than the US. Children are truly valued in Finnish society in a way that also considers their parents’ journey and well-being. Kelly wanted others outside of Finland to know it was possible too and to know that their parenting journey should be supported and even celebrated by the society around them.
Storytelling as a skillset of getting ideas and facts across
Kelly thinks that storytelling is one of the most important skills a person can have, and it is something she hopes that she can continuously improve upon. Storytelling doesn’t automatically mean that you are expressing fiction, but instead that you are getting a fact or an idea across in a powerful and interesting way.
This comes up in almost every aspect of Kelly’s life, whether communicating with her toddler or trying to express herself clearly as a doctoral researcher. And of course, making videos is a way to constantly test and improve this skill, which is one reason Kelly really enjoys doing them.
Helsinki gives hope for the future
Before Kelly moved to Finland, she wasn’t sure she could be a mother. That sounds dramatic, but Kelly really means it. She just couldn’t imagine herself leaving a very young baby in the care of others to return to work, but she also couldn’t imagine herself not working. And in the US, you often have to choose between the two (if you are lucky enough to even have a choice!). Parents who still manage all of this are incredibly strong and impressive, but Kelly just didn’t think she could handle it. As she acclimated to Helsinki, she was so amazed at how much the culture embraces parents. There is no shame when taking parental leave (for either parent), and being a mother doesn’t mean that you can’t have a wonderful and continuous career. Kelly remembers the exact moment she made this realisation, and suddenly, she had so much hope for her future in a way that she had never felt before.
When I got the Finnish “baby box”, a.k.a. mother’s package(“äitiyspakkaus”), it gave me such a sense of relief that I was having my daughter here. I realised not only was I going to be okay while becoming a mother in a foreign country, but it could also be joyful and beautiful in a way I hadn’t known was possible.
-Kelly
After having her daughter, Kelly has only become more grateful to be raising her here. Daycare is affordable and high-quality, the working culture is understanding of the lives of parents, and generally, society embraces children. Walking through Helsinki, you can bring your curious toddler to all the amazing museums and restaurants without a second thought about whether they are welcome or not (because of course they are). She also loves that she doesn’t have to choose between nature and culture when raising her daughter here. Kelly and her family can hop on a boat or go deep into the forest, all while never being too far from the city centre.
Helsinki equals good life and access to wilderness
Kelly moved here from New York City, which, of course, is amazing in many ways, but she always thought that living in a city meant she had to give up continuous access to nature. Kelly is someone who truly loves both, and after living in New York for so long, she was starved for nature. One of her first apartments in Helsinki was in Kallio, and in some ways it reminded her of the neighbourhood she had lived in in Brooklyn. The big difference was that she could take her bike in less than ten minutes to an island nearby and be surrounded by the sea and trees. That was when she truly fell in love with Helsinki and realised the city has everything a person needs for a good life. Helsinki is so much more than access to parks and greenery; it is being able to easily access places that still feel wild. And the beautiful thing is that there are so many islands and forests Kelly still has yet to explore.
Tip: The women who host the ‘New Mothers Group’ at Compass Psychology in Helsinki were also very important to Kelly in the early days of motherhood. Being a foreigner will always have challenges, including being far away from so many loved ones. But the New Mothers Group really created a welcoming and peaceful environment when she needed it the most.
Sustainability has always been important to Kelly and is a part of her educational and professional background. Working with Helsinki was a dream come true because it is a city that is truly on the cutting edge. Kelly still feels like she has barely touched the surface of covering Helsinki in this way, and that will likely be a lifelong pursuit.
On a personal level, this topic has been on her mind a lot lately, as the world feels like a very different place than it was even a year ago. Kelly feels fortunate because her main source of income has never been from social media. As a result, she feels free to only collaborate on topics that she feels truly connected with and believes in.
However, beyond collaboration, Kelly has also been reflecting on the ideas she would like to share, as this is what motivated her to start making videos at all. For example, making a video about Oodi Library is also a video about an idea, “What if all cities invested in their people by providing a public gathering place dedicated to learning and community?”. Going forward, she is trying to think from an “idea” perspective a bit more.
The largest challenge for Kelly is having enough hours in the day! Being a mom, having a full-time job, and maintaining creativity can feel really difficult. However, all of these things are also blessings. So she works really hard not to let these pressures become negative things. If Kelly starts to feel overwhelmed, then she knows it is time to prioritise her mind and body. This is definitely easier said than done, but she has understood lately that maintaining healthy levels of stress needs to come first so that all the other things work best. Finnish sauna certainly helps with this!
Kelly is amazed by so many creators who can stay true to themselves while millions of people are watching and commenting on their content. She thinks that this is when she feels the best about something, when a video or piece of content “feels” like her. So when she notices she has drifted from that place, she gives herself time and space to get back to herself. Kelly also thinks: “Just do it! Life is too short to be led by fear. Do the things that scare you and view failure as learning.”
Looking ahead
Kelly really wants to combine her experiences in research with her content creation. There are so many interesting and exciting conversations happening that give her hope for this world and our future, despite not feeling hopeful herself every day. She wants to share and start discussions about better paths for the future. Moving to Finland made her realise that sometimes you can’t let yourself imagine a better future until you learn about different ways of doing things. So if she can be a small part of helping other people envision a bright and peaceful future, then she will be able to sleep a bit better at the end of the day.
Follow Kelly:
Follow Kelly on social media @kel_in_hel