When Jen, Marianne and I started talking about doing a retreat together, we knew we wanted JOY infused through everything: through the days, the workshops, through our connections with participants and each other, through it all. We wanted to create a space where JOY could be found. The further we dug, the more it became apparent that this JOY comes from our creativity. So obvious, really. It comes from writing, and photographing, and singing, and moving our bodies, and breathing through silence. It’s found in paint and pencil, in ink and the keyboard. It lives in the books we make and the ones we read. It can be stitched and knitted and moulded and cooked.
Creative joy seems to show up easiest when we let ourselves get lost in play. When we drop our expectations and let ourselves experiment and explore. I watch my nephew do this when he’s enjoying how water pours and sand crumbles and Play Doh squishes. I feel it too when I’m someplace new with my camera in my hands. When I forget about how I got there and just sink into what I SEE.
My creative joy comes from my imagination.
The excitement of the new.
Sunlight.
Vintage cameras.
The realisation that there are so many things in the world to be photographed, so many moments to record, so many places to explore.
Kissing.
Hope.
A two-year-old boy called Noah.
My eyes — the art and practice of SEEING.
Emotions, and allowing myself to feel them.
Being truthful about how I feel.
Wanting to get it down on the page.
Books, piles and piles of books.
Blogging and the community it builds.
My women friends.
How my sister and I inspire the best in each other.
Being an aunt.
Being alive.
Where do you find your creative joy?
When I am painting or taking pictures I feel joyful if I allow myself to get into the experience and not worry about the outcome.
Such amazing post! :)
My creative joy comes from writing openly and from taking pictures and from being a mom (it helps me see things from a whole new perspective, which makes me more creative.
I find my creative joy in my family. through their eyes and laughter that we share together
Carol, i love that :)
yes!!
‘not worry about the outcome’ – yes! that’s so important isn’t it :)
oh when I get my hands dirty with paint or while I am cooking. Bliss!!!!!!!
My creative joy comes from journalling, and taking fun workshops where there is no pressure to be perfect, but the only aim is to learn something new.
First, a book(s) recommendation: Anything by Nathan Lowell, especially his Trader Tales series. He has the audio available for all 6 books, and the first 3 are also in print on Amazon.
My joy comes from new growth, solitude, bird song, patterns in blue, realizing I will never know everything there is to know and loving that idea, forgiveness, writing it down, song, keeping aware that I’ve lived 5 years the doctors did not expect. That last, especially, makes just about anything possible.
I get joy writing stories, crafting things, writing something short just for fun and then seeing my sister giggle with joy or laughing at something that was meant to be funny.
My creative joy comes from entertaining guests.