Letters for Creatives #37: Seeking joy around the corner
Does it bring you joy?
Hello, I am Celeste. Thank you for being here. Special shoutout to Rick, Esma, Jan, Andy, Sandra, Diane, Karan, Jo, David and Mia. I appreciate it.
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All of us want to have a happy and healthy life. Physical and mental health are the two main pillars that determine if you would be energized or slip into depression.
When it comes to being fulfilled in life, joy is often overlooked as we focus on happiness more. Happiness lasts much longer than joyful moments. Joy often happens in a fleeting moment.
What brings you joy in your life?
For me, these are some of the ways I could see joy around the corner.
Write poems, stories or try new writing prompts.
Spend time with people who inspire me and have a vibrant personality.
Watch a new TV show or movie by your favourite screenwriter or director.
Go on an adventure in your city. Go to a new neighbourhood, place or island. You may find a new spot that would become your favourite.
Plan your next trip. I browsed through Airbnb and found some incredible apartments in Singapore. It does not matter when the trip will happen but your feeling of excitement and joy pushes you forward.
Learn new hobbies or languages. I have been thinking about crochet lately. If any of you have any suggestions for video tutorials, you can leave a comment.
Does your social media or YouTube feed motivate, excite or inspire you? Do your friends make you feel joy or do you drag to be around them? What does your day-to-day look like?
If you feel that you are not very excited about life, you can list out everything you do. Put a + or - next to it according to how it makes you feel. Stop doing some of the things that you do not feel happy doing. Delegate them if you can. Do more of the things you feel joyful.
If you inherently long for something, become it first. If you want gardens, become the gardener. If you want love, embody love. If you want mental stimulation, change the conversation. If you want peace, exude calmness. … If you want to be valued, respect your own time. … This is how to draw it in, day by day, inch by inch.
— Victoria Erickson
Featured prose
Sandra used some of my May prompts for this stunning piece. To read the entire poem, you can visit her Instagram.
Tell me, have you ever felt like sometimes the moon sleeps in your eyes? And if you pull it into your river of dreams filled with rain born in thunder you can almost caress the sky… “Turn and face the strange” for just a moment as you stand in the eye of the storm and trust your heartbeat. Know that the sound can bridge the gap between our hearts, even if it were to skip a beat and get stuck on repeat. Because even though the vault to all your secrets may be covered in dust still “there is secrets and riddles that live in these walls”. And if I open the floodgates of my dreams I trust the path because it is a leap of faith after all.
— Sandra Ruddick-Darr
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Until next time,
Celeste