Hi Sweet Friends! Happy last week of March! Can you believe it?? Time is so fleeting it feels like these days but I am learning how to ease into that. I am someone that worries about how quickly time passes and if I am doing enough and if I should be doing more etc. Anywho, I thought it would be fun today to catch up and chat about things that have been bringing me joy lately.
It’s funny, I have written a lot of posts over the years about things during that season of life that are bringing me joy and I have loved how they continue to evolve. Ever-changing but also the same. With everything I have gone through in the last 8 months, I didn’t feel joy or actively sought it out. I didn’t really know who I was without my relationship and the life I thought I’d live. So joy seemed out of reach for me. But as I started to heal and try to move forward with my life, I started to actively seek joy again. Try new things, things I hadn’t ever thought of pursuing, and through a very windy path/ journey I am starting to really feel like me again but in a very whole way which I haven’t for years. Seeking joy and doing things just for you will bring you a different kind of peace and fulfillment. At least it has for me, I was constantly doing things for someone else and others and not really leaving room to give back and nurture myself which left me burnt out and joyless. I see now as well that truly nurturing myself allows me to give so much more to others, a car can’t run on fumes and that was a state I was constantly in.
So how did I go about this? Well, I can’t say I had a plan or steps I followed to feel joy again but what I did do was let myself get quiet and let my soul lead. That sounds a bit woo woo, I know haha, but it boils down to listening to that little voice or intuition in your heart and actively pursuing it. The big thing here is you must find a way to get quiet, turn down the voices/ opinions of friends or family, society, social media, etc. That way you can actually hear that soft voice that usually gets talked over or ignored. Actively listening was a big step for me in finding joy again and gave me a path to start walking on because otherwise, it can feel aimless which is scary.
What does it mean to actively listen and then pursue? For me, for example, I get these little sparks of excitement when something really aligns with who I am and how I want to live so when I saw this at home ceramic making company called (Crockd) my heart lit up. I have LOVED ceramics and playing with clay/doing things with my hands since I was little. It is a rare activity that holds my focus, helps me lose track of time (cue what I said in the first paragraph, and makes me feel calm (also huge as I am an anxious person). Allowing myself to play and to try this out, planted a seed in my heart and mind that maybe one day if I get good enough, I could make/sell my own ceramic items. So when you let yourself listen and then actively pursue it can create a snowball effect of joy and a way forward you would’ve never imagined. Because I certainly never thought it would be possible for me to do something like that with my life. I thought I had to be in corporate marketing and move up the ladder etc. But now I see maybe not? That isn’t what gives my heart that spark I mentioned.
This was my first ever mug that I made! A bit wanky and uneven but my goodness did this little mug bring me joy and it has continued too! I painted it and now it holds the sweetest little plant and my goodness do I love it. I just made a little dish to hold my jewelry and an autumn leaf and I can’t wait to spend time today painting it. Finding the things that bring you joy doesn’t have to be big or appeal to others it just has to bring some peace to you.
Another new hobby that has little that little spark in me is thrifting. You might think really?? So many people do that why are you just interested in it now. I think my reasons are a bit different than others and I will tell you why. For me it’s about the story, I love the idea of a piece of clothing or a pair of shoes having had a life before me. I love thinking about the person that wore them or what their life is like. I also should mention when I say thrifting, I don’t mean going to a thrift store mostly because we don’t really have any good in-person ones near me but thrifting through Poshmark, Depop, eBay, etc. You all know that my love for fashion runs very deep but wanting to be kind to the world/environment also runs parallel to that. And I have always had a hard time getting those to intersect. So shopping secondhand or “thrifting” through these sites has brought me immense joy. Not only do I still get to pursue my love for fashion but I am being sustainable and that is happy. I love scouring it to find vintage pieces or items that I am loving but want to be gently used and not pay full price for etc. I’ve bought some free people boots, Sandgren clogs, Madewell corduroy overalls, and plan on maybe snagging a Christy Dawn dress. This kind of shopping feels so good to me right now and I have also listed a few items of my own if you want to take a peek! Also, if you want a more in-depth post on how I do this to get the best price etc let me know! I definitely have a few techniques.
Lastly, along the same lines as thrifting, another thing that has brought me immense joy is utilizing my local library. There is just something so special and nostalgic to me right now about knowing someone else checked out and read a book before me and how the story was a part of their life and now it is a part of my own. I have always been the biggest bookworm and would spend all of my lunches/ free time in the library when I was young and that has been reinstalled in me. Going and spending time there brings back that child-like joy and wonder and I have been absolutely reveling in it. I guess I just love the idea of a book having a history before you and that it isn’t new or fresh from the press but has touched the lives of many. Idk you guys I am just romanticizing my life, what can I say??
To wrap up: joy can feel like it’s gone for good and there isn’t a way to find it again but it’s there trust me. I felt that way too but it’s just waiting for you to actively seek it, to seek it in a way that is intimate and personal to you, and allow it to warm you from the inside out. Seek it my friends, it will be absolutely worth it.
-M
Whimsy & Willow 