– audio version and Portuguese version coming soon ;-) –

project created with joy & care by Marina Frangipani with the support of The Bloom: a global community for social impact careers (2022)

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is JOY somewhere else?

I
the myth:
joy happens in the remarkable
memorable events of our lives

our mind might believe JOY is a mirage
something that's far away from us
and we need to work towards

we need to do more and better
we need to be wiser
and smarter

so we fill our minds with MORE

more danger
more problems
more fear and worry

what's wrong
what's not working

while wondering
“where is JOY?”


II
so we hold on to nostalgia

attached to our memories of
WHEN we used to feel joy

we hold on to the pain
of knowing that

joy is in the past
joy is somewhere else
joy is in a future spot
of our calendars

we wish joyful events
wouldn't come to an end

feeling the pain in anticipation
of their inevitable ending

joy won't last for long
– will I ever feel joy again?

PAIN and JOY live side by side


III
the dirty dishes
keep piling up
in the sink

we wish
we could forget
the daily life just
for a moment, the reality
that’s not what we wished it was

can we create space for joy in
our lives as they are?

like a breath of fresh air

the loose thread of a shirt
might reveal an unexpected path

JOY might happen anytime, anywhere
when we give attention to it

what fascinates you the most right now?

BE OPEN TO NEW POSSIBILITIES


IV
look up
look around

what can you see beyond your screen?

FOLLOW YOUR CURIOSITY
and discover what’s beyond
the dirty dishes piling up in the sink

squint your eyes
and what can you see?

the dirty oven
becomes a painting

the hole in the jacket
a portal to a new perspective

what else can you see?
what grabbed your attention?

have a closer look
take a picture

what fascinates you the most?

like the spectrum of feelings
the answer changes each time

how would life look
if we experienced JOY more
often throughout our lifetime?


V
imagine the delightful taste and smell of joy
the joy of savouring what made this moment a reality

can you notice the JOY of being able to notice?
the joy of the deepest connection of our humanity

the body
the textiles
the awareness
we inherited from our ancestors

what can you notice
about this moment in time,
your moment of life?

close your eyes and feel
the warmth and texture
of your own skin

the clothes that keeps you warm

the beautiful experience of
being in your own body
in your own time


VI
can you notice something
you’ve never noticed before?

what can you see far and near?

SEE THINGS FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

come closer
lower down

look from a different angle
from the perspective of a child

what can you see?
what does it remind you of?

the kitchen extractor fan becomes a texture
a beautiful woven piece of cloth

what else can you see?
what do you feel?


VII
turn the radio on
and allow the randomness
of the moment to involve you

the sound of "Little Light" might reach you
the rhythm that makes your body move

what fascinates you?

has something strange
or wonderful happened today?

LET YOURSELF BE SURPRISED

get off the screen
and wander on the street

an unexpected poster might surprise you

– look, it’s “sense of joy”!
how could that be?

JOY and WONDER live side by side


VIII
look around
what can you see?

the weight of the house
or the beauty and joy
of what’s within?

the grater in the kitchen reflects my clothing

as the glass of water reflects the light from outside

what’s at the intersection
of your inner and outer world?

what fascinates you the most right now?


IX
joy happens when
we allow ourselves
to experiment without
an expected outcome

JOY is not the end goal
joy is in each step we take
in the connections we create

can JOY be made?

WONDER, WANDER AND PLAY

tell me
how will you reconnect
with your sense of JOY today?