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Finding Joy
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Finding Joy

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Choc-chip & Toasted Almond Banana Bread
Food

Choc-chip & Toasted Almond Banana Bread

My kids have recently decided to let any bananas I buy die a slow death on the counter because that…

Keep reading Choc-chip & Toasted Almond Banana BreadContinue

Love persevering
Family | Soul

Love persevering

Content Warning: Grief, loss. Miscarriage – like many painful, unspoken life experiences – is notoriously misunderstood and underreported.

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Catholic quotes to save to your phone
Creativity | Faith

Catholic Quotes to save on your phone

Here is a collection of Catholic quotes I’ve lettered (sending lots of love to the lovely community at Our Lady…

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Simbang Gabi – The Best is Yet to Come
Faith | Mind | Soul

Simbang Gabi – The Best is Yet to Come

This morning Mr 7 and I woke up at 4am and made our way to simbang gabe. When I was…

Keep reading Simbang Gabi – The Best is Yet to ComeContinue

Photo of delegates at the CYP Lifted Retreat 'Dare to be Different' 2019
Faith | Family | Soul

So blessed, I can’t contain it

As I knelt in the hall during Adoration last Saturday, I felt an overwhelming wave of gratitude. It charged through my body and left me sobbing. I realise now what it was: profound gratitude for every single moment that God has had a hand in over the last 20 years.

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I recently went to a writers group meet uo where we each confessed the lengths to which we go to put off writing. We then shared some ideas on how to combat that bad habit. Here are some of them. | Image: Library books on a shelf | Text: 7 ways to start writing and stop procrastinating
Creativity

7 ways to start writing (and stop procrastinating)

I recently went to a writers group meet uo where we each confessed the lengths to which we go to put off writing. We then shared some ideas on how to combat that bad habit. Here are some of them.

Keep reading 7 ways to start writing (and stop procrastinating)Continue

Every single time I want to write, I have to battle the side of me that tells me there are other, more important things to do. In the same boat? Here are 5 things to remember to help win the battle and just start writing.
Creativity

Am I still a writer if I’m constantly struggling to prioritise it?

Every single time I want to write, I have to battle the side of me that tells me there are other, more important things to do. In the same boat? Here are 5 things to remember to help win the battle and just start writing.

Keep reading Am I still a writer if I’m constantly struggling to prioritise it?Continue

The Faithfeed Parramatta | Institute for Mission | Testimony by Joy Adan, June 2017
Faith | Mind | Soul

Finding my way | My testimony from The FaithFeed (June 2017)

Back in June, I was invited on The FaithFeed to share how my faith has evolved and the role that…

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Brené Brown has an awesome mantra, which I’ve adopted: “Courage starts with showing up and letting yourself be seen.” As a creative person, I find myself constantly battling between the voice that tells me I’m not good enough and the voice that tells me I’m too big for my boots. In those moments, I remind myself that courage starts with just showing up and starting. Once I've done that, everything gets a bit easier. Here are some of the lessons I've learnt on my journey as a writer.
Creativity

Carving out a creative career

For a long time I was convinced that a “creative career” was an oxymoron; surely exercising creativity was something one…

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A Filipina woman with brown skin and dark wavy hair writes on a writeable wall/whiteboard wall in the Reward Gateway office

hi there! I'm Joy

I am a writer, artist and coach from Western Sydney. A lover of all things creative, colourful and curious. Hoarder of books, stationery and wine. Collector and teller of stories. You'll find some of my art and writing here, along with my a̶d̶v̶i̶c̶e̶ ̶a̶b̶o̶u̶t̶ misadventures while attempting to balance a creative career + family life. I'm on a mission to cultivate courage and connection through creativity. Subscribe below and join me on this crazy adventure!

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#Watercolour #Calligraphy #Lettering by @joyadanwrites 🇵🇭🇦🇺✝️
🎨Commissions 🎁 Gifts 🥂Watercolour Workshops ✍🏽Event Scribe 📍#WesternSydney #Creative
Creative energy is floooowing as I get the materia Creative energy is floooowing as I get the materials ready for our retreat next Saturday! 🎨 Dare to Dream is a special time for restoration and recreation and I'm SOOOO excited to share this time of reflection and creativity with you. Please pray for our time together and for all the women who've registered! 🙏 For those still on the fence: registrations CLOSE this Monday at midnight! Sign up via the link in my bio! 💖
Life can feel like a whirlwind. Busy schedules mea Life can feel like a whirlwind. Busy schedules mean busy minds. We pour ourselves out for our work, our communities, our families, and sometimes, in that giving, we can feel a quiet ache for something more, a yearning to be refilled. This is precisely why I'm hosting the Dare to Dream Catholic Creative Retreat on Saturday, 5 July with the wonderful women at Our Lady of the Angels in Rouse Hill - and we are inviting you, yes you, to join us.  It's an afternoon carved out just for you – a sacred pause in the busyness, an invitation to step away from the demands and simply be. Imagine moments of genuine rest, where the weight of your to-do list gently lifts. Picture time for deep reflection, allowing space for your heart and mind to settle, to hear those quiet promptings. And most importantly, picture a beautiful opportunity to reconnect with Jesus in a fresh and creative way. We'll journey through themes like our God-given call to create, the art of surrender in life's detours, and practical ways to invite Jesus into our everyday labour.  Through gentle guidance and engaging creative activities like brush lettering, watercolour, journaling, and more, you'll find pathways to express your spirit and rediscover joy. The Sacrament of Confession will also be available for those who wish to receive it. This isn't about adding another task to your plate; it's about offering yourself the gift of an afternoon dedicated to spiritual nourishment and personal renewal. It's a chance to breathe, to create, and to feel truly seen and re-energised in your faith. If your heart is yearning for this kind of space, please consider joining us. All details and registration can be found here: https://findingjoy.com.au/event/dare-to-dream We would be truly honoured to share this sacred time with you.
Retreat gives us the opportunity to put our tools Retreat gives us the opportunity to put our tools down and reset and recalibrate.  I know how many women are holding so much, quietly. My hope is that this retreat provides women a sacred space to exhale, reconnect with God, and be gently, lovingly, invited to restoration. 💖 Join us on July 5 at OLA, Rouse Hill for a retreat that blends calm with creativity. Tickets are still available. Details in bio / head to findingjoy.com.au for info.
What happens when life throws you curveballs and y What happens when life throws you curveballs and your spirit takes a hit? Me? I find myself in a state of paralysis. And it's often my creative spirit that takes the first hit. When I get into a state of self-protection, I find myself shying away from blank pages. Even though the article needs writing, the calligraphy pen beckons or the webpage needs reworking, when I am operating from a place of fear, the critical voice gets louder, telling me that creating something will be a waste of time or that I'll inevitably create rubbish. 😢 Even if the rational part of my brain can find plenty of evidence of the contrary, the scared side of me believes the "protective" voice that's poking me back into my safe little corner, telling me that creative courage is too... Risky. When it comes to choosing between fight or flight, flight often feels like the easier option. It's something I keep working on. Isn't the nervous system an interesting beast? So I'm grateful to have Caitlin Marshall and Lizzie Rose's book "Creative First Aid" to return to time and time again, to remind me of things I can do to increase my window of tolerance and return to a place of restoration. It's been my go-to for years as I plan creative interventions, and a resource I was grateful to revisit the other night after an excellent coaching call. We don't conquer fear by waiting - we conquer fear by moving. And it's ok to move forward scared. 💪🏽 📷 IMAGE: Close-up image of a creative workspace focused on watercolour painting and mental health support through art. The centrepiece is a digital tablet displaying a book cover titled "Creative First Aid: The Science + Joy of Creativity for Mental Health" by Caitlin Marshall and Lizzie Rose. Surrounding the tablet are various art supplies, including watercolour palettes, a ceramic heart-shaped paint dish with vibrant paint stains, a colour swatch reference sheet, water cups with brushes, a plastic palette tray, and a turquoise floral mug filled with pens and brushes. In the foreground, a hand holds a green brush pen above a white card with magenta brush lettering that reads "Do it scared."
"Art is something that helps me overcome my weakne "Art is something that helps me overcome my weaknesses and face the world with a sense of hope." - Yayoi Kusama In a time when there is so much consumption and destruction... May we choose to be counter-cultural and create, create, create.
Forced myself to get the paint out last night even Forced myself to get the paint out last night even though all I did was scribble... It was good to play with colour again. I'm in a weird mood. Joy. Confusion. Anger. Grief. Gratitude. Uncertainty. Hope. These are just a few of the many emotions that have flowed through me in the past few weeks. Sometimes pen or paint to paper is the best way I cope.
Friday night scribbly flowers to calm my mind afte Friday night scribbly flowers to calm my mind after an emotional roller coaster of a week. Found a 3 year old video by @shaydacampbell to follow on YouTube - so simple, so quick, but soooooo therapeutic! 10/10 recommend just doodling for 5mins. You just need blank paper and any pen/pencil (no fine liners required). Have a beautiful weekend my loves. 💕🌼
Squeeeeee!! This arrived in the mail yesterday - a Squeeeeee!! This arrived in the mail yesterday - a truly special birthday gift that has me head over heels in love. I think I've unlocked a whole new level of stationery fandom - this is a different level of writing tool that speaks to my soul!! I know I've been really quiet for months - I went back to post-grad study last September so it's been a busier-than-usual few months and my brain is deep into research about the ins and outs of coaching, creativity, wellbeing, strengths-based leadership and I've spent the past week poring through papers about authenticity, relational transparency and sustainable success 🤯 .. But all this is so that one day I can support people in their search for their voice, expressing their story and (of course!!) their unique ways of finding, expressing and celebrating joy. ❤️❤️❤️❤️ I was pretty tempted to write my essay with this beauty, but alas APA 7 style guides require 12 pt font and double line spacing 😆 For now though, I'ma go write in my journal with this fabulous new pen and marvel at how smoooooth the 0.3 mm writing nib is and find a cool quote to letter with the brush nib. *Sigh* @tomsstudio THIS PEN IS LIFE 😍😍
Just realised my nails match my shake and had to t Just realised my nails match my shake and had to take a photo coz life's too short not to notice the fun little details that make us smile. 😂🤩 #glimmers Oh and if you haven't yet tried @burgerpointofficial's Purple Dulce milkshake get onto it 💜💜💜
Still absorbing, processing, sitting with all that Still absorbing, processing, sitting with all that we went through and (re)discovered at yesterday's Diocesan Pastoral Plan launch.. . flicking through notes and cherishing the gems of wisdom shared by so many beautiful people who give selflessly to the Western Sydney community and love with the tenderness and compassion the world needs. I am a child of this Diocese... My faith has been nourished, challenged and cultivated here, and my heart is hopeful for its future. We walk together... and we walk with a God who has promised to accompany us. "Behold, I am with you always." - Matthew 28:20
Sending a little love (and lettering) in a box. Sending a little love (and lettering) in a box.
I'm trying to get back into the habit of writing m I'm trying to get back into the habit of writing my Morning Pages. The practice of writing 3 pages every morning is from Julia Cameron's book/program, The Artists Way. I used to think it was too lofty a goal to write 3 pages every morning, until I committed to it during a holiday earlier this year and did it for a few months - I found the practice SO freeing. I dropped it unintentionally during the last school term because I was travelling so much, but I am keen to get back into it - if anything to soothe my anxious mind. I normally use a plain exercise book because I don't intend for anyone to read these ramblings (I don't even intend to read them myself!) but yesterday, Mr 7 asked if he could have his own journal to write/draw in, so I have him a blank notebook and we spent the last morning of his school holidays decorating covers. 💕 Knowing that he's picking up on all these little things (and knowing what a privilege it is to give him the space and permission to exercise his creativity) made it even more special to sit down this morning with my coffee and my little floral journal and put pen to paper. #ArtistsWay #MorningPages
Well this is different! Looks like I've temporaril Well this is different! Looks like I've temporarily swapped watercolours and brush pens to nurse a healthy (and really fun!!) addiction to acrylic paint (I thoroughly blame @partyinapaintbox for this 😆). It started with our gal cousin's paint party a few weeks ago and 3 paintings later, here we are. I have no idea what I'll do with these, but I kinda like that I get to practice with a medium that, up until now, has mostly been quite foreign or daunting. I'm sure I'll start freestyling eventually, but if I'm honest having a kit with instructions has been really nice. It gives me the freedom to play within boundaries... A template gives me something clear to work towards without feeling constrained. I've always found painting to be hugely therapeutic - it forces me to slow down - and after a pretty busy and tumultuous couple of weeks (school holidays/WFH life!), I've needed this. In the quiet of the night, when everyone else is in bed, I get to pause and play. I could do a million other things, I know. But something in my heart and mind has drawn me to this, and I'm not sad about it. The upside is that this set up (two brushes, a tray of paint, foldable easel, a jar of water and a rag) makes it all pretty easy to set up, and I can pack it all down before the kids are even awake again. 🙌🏽
Just added the new slide out desk to my Billy book Just added the new slide out desk to my Billy bookcase so I have a dedicated paint/journal spot. Why does this make me so happy?? 😭😭🎨🖌️
We did a cousins Pasta and Paint Night!! It's been We did a cousins Pasta and Paint Night!! It's been soooo long (too long) since we've had a girls night and gave ourselves permission to be a lil silly and a lil creative, so we got some paint kits, gathered around pasta, KFC, wine, cheese and dessert and painted (and talked) our little hearts out. There was much laughter, a new found love affair with a heat gun, many needed deep conversations, and some truly gorgeous masterpieces to end a memorable, relaxing evening. 🎨🖌️👩🏽‍🎨 Lessons learnt: 💕 Trust the process. What starts off as blank or messy will turn into what it needs to if you give yourself time and put in the effort. 🎨 Embrace the mess that comes with creating just the right colour. 😖 Frustration is also part of said process. Lean into it, problem solve, embrace the imperfections. 🖍️ There are infinite ways to paint a picture. Some of us followed instructions, some of us freestyled our way to the end. All of it is good.
It's been a while since I sat down to make jewelle It's been a while since I sat down to make jewellery but I MISS IT and it's calling my name!!! How fun are these? Such a fun pop of happiness in what is usually a monochrome winter wardrobe. I should probably update my website with these... Add that to the list of things I need to do 🤦🏽‍♀️🫣🫠 #ArtistLife #HandmadeJewelry #HandmadeEarrings #FindingJoy
Trying to manage my mid week anxiety with some cre Trying to manage my mid week anxiety with some creative down time while listening to a webinar. #CreativeJournaling #CreativeJournaling
Had a little creative date with my little man at t Had a little creative date with my little man at the @artgalleryofnsw the other day - we had the BEST time! I got a bit emotional actually... Just watching him soak up all the beauty, colour and expression. There's so much life that comes with spending hours and hours amongst incredible work. We went to see the #ArchibaldPrize portraits - there were so many moving pieces, I could spend an entire day in that exhibition alone (he wouldn't let me though - had to keep moving lol). It's the first date we've had in aaaaages and neither of us really wanted to go home. I think we would've happily stayed in the library on the bottom floor long after closing time. Tempted to turn his bedroom into a permanent reading nook. 🤭 #CreativeDate
Back to the creative exercises that I've been negl Back to the creative exercises that I've been neglecting. This was tricky at first - it took me ages to draw even one bird and I kept getting stuck and (over) thinking about what I wanted to portray. Eventually the creative muscles warmed up and I just started scribbling. And suddenly there's a bunch of little blob personalities staring at me from the page. 🤭 Sometimes I leave it too long between creative journaling and I find myself stuck. But... change requires a bias for action creativity requires accepting imperfections. 💕 Do you have a favourite bird? What are some of the stories you see in these little moments of fun? 😜 #CreativeJournaling #CreativeFirstAid #CartoonBirds
It's been 2 years since I walked out of the hospit It's been 2 years since I walked out of the hospital with a bleeding body and a broken heart. 🖤 My heart aches for you today. My heart also aches for the parents who've had to say goodbye too soon, who've grieved the loss of possibilities, who've wrestled with the heartbreak of unspoken and unrealised dreams.
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Finding J😜y 🎨

Hi! I'm Joy. I am a writer, artist and coach from Western Sydney. I'm on a mission to cultivate courage and connection through creativity. I created Finding Joy in 2016 to share my art and writing, along with my a̶d̶v̶i̶c̶e̶ ̶a̶b̶o̶u̶t̶ misadventures while attempting to balance a creative career + family life. Hope you take a moment to pause and enjoy what you find here!

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