Find what brings you joy & follow it

February 19, 2021
Posted by Sarah Artz

Joy. A simple feeling of being uplifted - gently floating up high above the nonsense, above the noise. Of feeling free and open. Of feeling completely at home - seen - heard. A happy pop, a slight burst of light, a moment of ease, surrender and connection to what is and what is supposed to be.

Joy isn’t a given, an everyday, a state of constant being - it ebbs and flows, shows up and just as quickly retreats, often quieted by all the Things that Need to Be Done, the Expectations, the Responsibilities, the Insecurities.

I've personally let many things bury my connection to joy. My sense of joy has been clouded by the heaviness of mostly internal and sometimes external judgment, the heaviness of trying to figure out how to make things work and feeling a need to suppress my self and my needs in service of others. Somehow, some way, this thinking has caused me to lose that spark - the one that ignited me creating a business and a community, the contagious, infectious spark that moved me to action and made things happen.

And so, I've been spending some time becoming present with joy - noticing what brings me joy, what confuses me and what depletes me.

I find joy in problem solving - that moment when things click and space opens up. I feel pure joy when I am able to bring people together, around an experience or an opportunity and I see them feel at home, open and creative. Joy pops in moreso when I'm getting lost in the moment of making something with my hands rather than my mind. And surprisingly to me (or not?) I’ve found a lot of moments of joy through the process of curating, collecting and presenting pieces that become a part of people’s homes & lives.

When I’m following joy, my steps quicken and I move lighter. I’m able to let my mind rest and my intuition rise. Physically my mouth more naturally turns up, the knot in my throat softens and my joints loosen (dance party anyone?). When I move with joy, my words are kinder and my resolve is strong.

When I’m following joy, collaborations come more naturally, I feel part of the flow and I’m able to say no to the things that don’t fit right. Projects don't feel forced, the big picture becomes crystal clear and all the dots connect more naturally. The world turns from black and white to the most beautiful shades of gray - nuanced and deep.

Joy - delight - connection - ease - these are the feelings I want to spark through One-OneThousand. I have to admit, I haven’t been so great at it lately. Sometimes I get caught up in following the negative self talk. Taking other’s opinions to heart too much, feeling like an impostor, a failure - trying to do too much at one time for one person and letting myself and others down.

But when I pause and go within versus following all the noise, I’m brought back to center. The truth rises up and I so clearly see the path out - the one that follows joy, intuition and embraces positivity from others.

There have been some things I’m changing with One-OneThousand as I shift from Doing All The Things to Following What Brings Me Joy. I'm opening up space to create Good Day Shop right inside One-OneThousand (yay!) by personally producing less events. And I'm offering less business coaching/services to makers. I'm also being more purposeful in my social media efforts and mindful of how I use those tools to promote my work versus getting me stuck back in a negative cycle.

These efforts may not be put on pause for forever, they're a Just For Now. Because I think - no I know - if I'm following joy first, that energy becomes infused into the space I’m able create - it’s visible, tangible and permeates walls, pores, minds. It lets in and gives back, connecting to your joy - building community that nourishes together.