What is creative joy? That was the question Marianne, Susannah, and I started asking when we decided to convene a retreat called Creative Joy. Creative joy is one of those phrases that you may think you know what it means to you and yet, when you start digging and inquiring, you find so much more.
We asked a smattering of friends to think about creative joy. We hoped to both understand it more deeply to create a richer retreat and we wanted to spread creative joy by prompting people to think about what feeds theirs and to encourage you to do the same.
This little exploration has turned my world upside down because it has helped me see that, at my heart, I am devoted to creative joy. But I haven’t owned that because it has felt too… fluffy. Inconsequential. Lite (which is not the same as light.)
Yet reading the extraordinary creative offerings that our invitation brought forth — which you will in a moment — is anything but a fluffy experience.
It is like receiving a transfusion of life force. Of color and beauty.
Please enjoy this spacious feast of creative joy. (If you’d like to share your own thoughts on creative joy, please do and leave the link in the comments).
AND DON’T MISS
At the bottom is your own gorgeous interactive highly inspiring Creative Joy Journal and Playbook. You can get your free copy using the link below (no sign up needed — please share widely!)
The Creative Joy Feast
Christine Mason Miller’s creative joy loves “the possibility of every moment in front of me.” (Don’t miss Christine’s art — I love it all.)
Janet Goldstein created an inquiry for finding your creative joy that will make your brain and your heart buzz.
Jeffrey Davis‘s braids a path to creative joy that you will want to print out and paste by your desk or easel or yoga mat.
Lisa Rough brings creative joy into the midst of a trip home to see the parents – alchemy indeed.
Chris Zydel opens your heart with an invocation of color.
Tanya Geisler heals the split between “Suits” and “Creatives” — if anybody can do it, Tanya can.
Jamie Ridler tickles you with the possibility of creative immersion — 24-hour creative vision quest anybody?
Ronna Detrick reminds you when you feel furthest from your truest self, it is creation (and creativity) that brings you home. Say it sister!
Darrah Parker finds creative joy by letting go of what should be (boy can I relate!)
Samantha Reynolds wrote a poem on the power of creative joy that will make you grin BIG
Kyeli Smith made a video that will have you bopping right into finding your joy.
Lianne Raymond offers a wise, wise equation: deep rest + wild play = creative joy
Marney Makridakis teaches you how to make a joyful clock to free you for creative joy — you know you want that!
Eric Klein asks are you on fire for creative joy? And if you aren’t, you can be.
Amanda Oaks finds poetry in everything (how to be a poem is a book I want to write someday).
Bridget Pilloud shared some tips on creative joy from her dog Olive – sweetness.
Liz Lamoreux clears the space.
Heather Plett gives you a mantra that already changed my life – hope it does yours too.
Justine Musk brings her usual deep, wide and smart insights like “creative joy is an arrow that points us to meaning.”
Julie Daley asks and explores what keeps us from being our fullest, most joyful, most orgasmic self.
Andrea Scher talks about her creative joy.
Lisa Sonora Beam helps ignite a delightful explosion of creative joy.
That’s it isn’t it? In a nutshell. Creative joy points us to everything.
Now it’s your turn.
Our gift to you — your own freeeee Creative Joy Journal + Playbook that you can write in, draw in, and dribble crumbs and paint and tears over. Click on this link and the download will start automatically. Please share!
