The Mood Board #017
Joy is all around us, sometimes we just have to look for it.
the PALETTE
This week was TOUGH. My anxiety was pretty high; I was feeling distracted and all over the place; I was hormonal and tired. I wasn’t as productive or as creative as I wanted to be. And I know I’ve written about feeling less creative before, so today instead I wanted to write about finding joy when things feel hard.
I’m not always the most optimistic person. It might seem like I am on social media and on The Mood Board, but I actually feel quite doomful sometimes (my friend Tiff told me ‘doomful’ isn’t a word earlier this week, yet I’ve proceeded to use it at least 15 times since). I think, sometimes, I project optimism into my writing as an antidote, and I mean it when I say that writing about how to be positive, creative, and joyful when things feel tough actually helps me feel better too.
So here goes, y’all. We need to find joy in our lives. We need to create joy within ourselves. We have to look for it, because it’s there.
Joy is always around us – in fleeting moments, like a stranger’s smile, a bumblebee landing on a flower, blue skies, a warm cup of coffee on a sleepy morning, a new book, the perfect snack. And I believe that joy is always in us, just sometimes we have to fight harder to feel it, to recognize it.
This week, I found joy in having a midweek dinner date with my fiancé, Jordan, working from a coffee shop with my friend (and fellow editor!) Archer, calling my friend Allison on the phone, FaceTiming my friend Tiff, going to Taliesin with my friend Nat, having a spontaneous Google Meet with my friends in NYC and Boston (hi Mel, Live, Hannah, and Michelle!), and grabbing dinner with my mom last night.
I found so much joy in being in community with people this week – it made the tough week feel better. And some of them probably didn’t even know it was a tough week, so thank you, if you’re reading this – you brought me joy!
I don’t list all of these things to brag. I list them because joy is all around. Last night I was feeling lonely. My fiancé was at rehearsal and I was sitting home with my cat wishing I could have more community in my life. But then I thought about all the times I got to connect with people I care about this week. I felt gratitude, which is maybe just retroactive joy.
Joy was all around me this week. I just had to let myself feel it.
xo
Brianna
PS. I was thinking about the image above that reads “There is so very little that we can control.” And it’s true. We can’t control much – but one thing we can control is looking for and creating joy. We can tangibly do that. We have control over our joy. We can do things that make us feel joyful every day. <3
the MOOD
JOYFUL | OUTDOORSY | GRACIOUS
the WORD
trite (adj.): (of a remark, opinion, or idea) overused and consequently of little import; lacking originality or freshness.
“I know it may be a trite expression, but you can’t win ‘em all.”
the LISTEN
Feeling this throwback today. Two summers ago this was all I listened to.
the READS
Two stories that I enjoyed recently:
‘Art Is Not Truth’: Pablo Picasso by Kirsha Kaechele
This was a wild read! This artist went to great lengths to make a statement – creating a fake Picasso painting, getting sued, and more. She wrote about it herself on the MONA museum’s website blog. I found it dramatic and entertaining.
A Sock War Is Afoot Between Millennials and Gen Z by Callie Holtermann (The New York Times *gift link)
Plus, one by me:
Why Do We Love Period Dramas? (The Good Trade)
the PROMPT
Create a joy list! I wrote about how to use one a while back, and in theme with today’s issue, I’m challenging you to create a joy list and use it this week!
the EXTRAS
Just got this adorable composition notebook from Target!
Are you a Barbie, Brat, Polly Pocket, or American Girl Doll?
the CAT
Such a heart warming post 💖
I love this! As someone who moved here and constantly wishes she had more community, this spoke to me! Always happy to connect and talk about books, writing, cats, etc!