Creating Joy in the World
Late in the pandemic, I went out to get the mail and as I sorted through it, I found a colorful, sassy postcard from my friend Nan. She included a couple of sentences on the back stating what she loved about me and our friendship. I was absolutely delighted! It more than made my day. What a treat! When was the last time you got a fun mail surprise of any kind?
A week later, I got another postcard from her. And the week after that, another. Once a week for a month I got a postcard note from Nan. I can’t tell you the love and warmness–the delight I got from these little 1-2 sentence messengers! Oh my glee, y’all! Pure joy.
This really captured my attention. Nan intentionally MADE joy for me! I really started thinking about it. It cost Nan effort, but not terrible effort. They were only 1-2 sentences each. She had to find and buy the actual postcards themselves. She had to address them and have stamps and then she had to physically put them in the mail.
The joy ROI for this effort made it one of the best investments of time, money, and effort I could think of! It became my antidote for my pandemic boredom, my isolation, for my absolute despair over politics.
JOY, Y’ALL. WE CAN MAKE IT!
This deeply inspired me. I wanted to mail a little bit of joy to some of my friends! It started with Valentine’s Day Little Debbie’s snack cakes in late January. I mailed little heart- shaped cakes to each person—not the whole box. I threw in a few fake roses and a couple of hearts and a cute napkin and mailed them out with a note that sometimes we just need a little snack we can share with our friends.
I made a mail station with stamps, and fun stickers and purchased a few cards to have on hand so I can more easily mail a little joy whenever I fancy it. Some of my friends started doing the same.
JOY IS VIRAL, Y’ALL!
This has leaked over into my art practice too. It’s in my color choices, in my social media images, and packaging. It’s why I’ll always paint notecards. I’m always looking for ways to bring delight to you and to my collectors and to make it easier for you to share your joy too.
Don’t let the commercialization of Christmas make you forget how easy it actually is to make joy. This is my mission in the world. Create more joy. Where do you find joy?
