I just spent the last three weeks working intentionally to notice, create, and share Joy, in spite of the stressful and uncertain times we find ourselves in right now. Perhaps you joined me for all or even part of that journey - if so, THANK YOU! There are only so many ripples of Joy I can spread on my own, so I’m truly grateful to everyone who participated in any way. Together, we created not just ripples, but WAVES of Joy. Perhaps even the beginnings of a Joy Tsunami!

Here’s what I noticed:

• I was able to dramatically shift my mindset and mood. Changes were noticeable by day 4.

• It was hard work. Some days it felt exhausting to try to find light and hope, and to talk about Joy in the midst of everything that’s going on in the world. I had a meltdown during the second week, and shared that vulnerability on social media. The amount of support I received from friends, family members, and my online community was heartwarming and soul nurturing. We are all going to stumble. We need to help pick each other back up again.

• It got easier as the days went by. I knew this would happen (from similar self-care binges in the past), and it’s why I put some of the easiest Joy prompts at the beginning of the 21 days. The whole idea is to build up the Joy muscles and the toolbox of ways to access Joy. The more you work at it, the easier it is.

• By posting, sharing, and commenting on only Joyful and supportive content on social media, I was able to dramatically shift what the algorithm was putting in my feed. The amount of stress and anxiety I felt from social media was greatly reduced, but this took at least two weeks of very deliberate and consistent effort.

• The overall effects were amplified by the participation of others. I could have done this project on my own, but it was WAY more fun, and felt more Joyful and supportive, with friends and family taking part. I even heard from a handful of people who subscribe to my email newsletter, and from some followers on social media, who shared their experiences. This was all delightful! Instead of experiencing each Joy once when I did the activity, I also got to vicariously experience it about a dozen more times per day by hearing other peoples’ Joys! As a bonus, these people shared recommendations of Joyful activities, movies, books, musical playlists, etc.. It felt like Joy was being spread in all directions and I loved that.

As a result of all of the sharing of Joyful resources, I have a long list of reading and watching that I can’t wait to dig into. I’m going to post a Joymongering Digest with links to as many of these as possible. This is the material and content that will feed the new artwork I’ll be making. I’m currently marinating on the idea of holding space for both rage and Joy at the same time, and the sort of positive action that becomes possible because of the tension between the two. I have no idea what this will look like as artwork, but I’m excited to find out!

Stay tuned! And stay Joyful!

xo
Jessica

**If you are able and feel so inspired, you can make a donation to support my work on this Joymongering project - any and all amounts are welcome and much appreciated!**