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Finding Joy

Words that uplift and empower | Hand-made Lettering Art & Blog by Joy Adan

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Five things

4 June, 2013 By Joy Adan Tagged With: reflection 2 Comments

Write down 5 things that you're grateful for each day

I’ve told myself over and over again for quite a while now that I need to start writing again, but the problem is I get in front of my computer and (as with many things in my life) I don’t know where to start. But this morning as the winter chill slapped my face, something else hit me: start simple. It must have been something to do with the recent

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Food without salt has no taste. Life without love has no meaning.

29 April, 2013 By Joy Adan Tagged With: inspiration, motivation Leave a Comment

Last night our priest kicked off his homily with an anecdote about cooking (he must have known the My Kitchen Rules season finale was airing last night); he and a friend were cooking soup for the first time and the first taste of it was bland and uninspiring. With no recipe and only a poorly-stocked pantry on hand, the only thing he knew could solve their predicament was to add

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The internet gives me ADHD

27 April, 2013 By Joy Adan Tagged With: reflection 2 Comments

I seem to have lost the ability to stay with one train of thought. And I’m going to blame my “disorder” on the micro-blogging via Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest business. Reading so many thoughts and opinions in 160 characters or less, then scrolling down through aggregated tiny URL after tiny URL or pin after pin after pin… every time I sit down to do just one thing I end up with at

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Boon Spoon Review – Miracle feeding on the go

4 November, 2012 By Joy Adan Tagged With: motherhood, mum life, product review 2 Comments

Boon Squirt Spoon: Product Review

Feeding baby solids comes with a whole heap of challenges… but I’ve gotta say this is one genius invention that I really wish I’d taken more advantage of when we first began Ukelele Baby’s foray onto pureed baby food. Boon’s Squirt spoon is brilliant for feeding bub while on the go; this allows me to do it without clumsily fussing about with multiple utensils and bowls. It’s been a life

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The complete guide to packing your hospital bag(s)

20 September, 2012 By Joy Adan Tagged With: motherhood, mum life 2 Comments

Packing The Hospital Bag

It was a couple of weeks before my due date and I remember sitting on my bed with a rather large collection of lists in front me, telling me to bring a gazillion things to the hospital when it came time to give birth. I had no idea where to start, whether all of it was really necessary, and how on earth I was supposed to fit it all into

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10 of the best Android apps for parents

19 September, 2012 By Joy Adan Tagged With: motherhood, mum life Leave a Comment

I remember that one of my top priorities in my first week of maternity leave was to upgrade my dying Nokia N97 to a proper, working smart phone. Admittedly the main reason was that my calls weren’t connecting or kept dropping out and seeing as we don’t have a landline at home, the last thing I wanted was to go into labour and not have a way of getting in

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Words to live by

15 September, 2012 By Joy Adan Tagged With: inspiration, motivation Leave a Comment

Words to live by from Pope Benedict XVI - WYD2005

I just finished writing out my talk for tomorrow night’s Couples for Christ Christian Life Program. I’ll post a few of the talking points up eventually, but for now I just wanted to share this, which is an excerpt of Pope Benedict XVI’s homily from World Youth Day 2005.

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How we got our baby to sleep through the night

5 August, 2012 By Joy Adan Tagged With: motherhood, mum life 2 Comments

Baby asleep and drooling on arm

Could it be? Has my baby worked out how to fall asleep on his own and through the night?? I was going to wait a few more days before I started writing a post about Baby’s progress in the sleep department, thinking it was too soon to celebrate. But I know too well how the cycle goes; you learn something new or achieve a milestone of some sort and in

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What? Those aren’t mustard stains?

21 May, 2012 By Joy Adan Tagged With: motherhood, mum life Leave a Comment

Poo. Every baby produces a lot of it. Therefore, as a parent, you spend a $h!tload of your time trying to get rid of it (bahahaha sorry… crappy pun. Oops there I go again! Ok I’ll stop now). So, given that this substance is so common place, why is it that even after centuries of human evolution we have yet to figure out a way of managing the unavoidable catastrophe

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Uh… Thank you Captain Obvious

11 May, 2012 By Joy Adan Tagged With: motherhood, mum life Leave a Comment

A bizarre thing happened at the shopping centre the other day; I was with a fellow first-time mum and we were heading down a travelator, trying to do our best to make our way from the Food Court to Toys R Us with two agitated babies. Luckily for me, Ukulele Baby had calmed down as his stroller started moving. My friend’s baby, on the other hand, was emitting the not

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4 must-have resources to survive the ‘witching hour’

27 April, 2012 By Joy Adan Tagged With: books I'm reading, motherhood, mum life 2 Comments

Baby books: The CLB Book, 90-minute Sleep, and Happiest Baby on the Block

My baby just fell asleep. He was awake for 4.5 hours (I’m led to believe this is far too long a stretch for a 5-week old) and would not settle down. First he surprised me with two poo explosions mid-way through his feed. Then he was super hungry and fed for over an hour. Then he couldn’t get his wind up. We tried to settle him down after what seemed to

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Lesson #1: Surviving a steep learning curve

23 April, 2012 By Joy Adan Leave a Comment

Two of my fellow mums came over today and we spent an afternoon sharing stories about our babies. I realised in talking to them how important it is to have supportive people during this stage of life; taking a baby home for the first time is such a daunting task and, depending on how the pregnancy and labour went, can take a long time to get accustomed to.

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Hi

Joy Adan

I'm Joy. I'm a 30-something, storytelling, coffee-drinking, book-devouring, ocean-obsessed freelance writer, brush lettering enthusiast, speaker and content producer. You'll find some of my stories and art here, along with my advice about attempt at balancing the creative career + family life hustle.

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Hamilton themed anniversary card for the man who r Hamilton themed anniversary card for the man who raps, sings, strums and drums his way through 11 years of putting up with me. ❤

#customcard #happyanniversary #hamiltonmusical
Feeling really weary today. Not sure if it's just Feeling really weary today. Not sure if it's just the virus lingering (I've been coughing through March 🥴), playing nurse to a brave little boy with a broken (but healing) elbow, hormones, or just a head clouded with all that's happening around the country and around the world and the fact women have to fight so hard to exist - let alone thrive - in a world that seems hell bent on destroying us. 

So here's a photo of nice things that make me happy. Full bookshelves, coffee cups, and plants... things that remind me that if we are open to learning, conversation, and blooming amongst even the shittiest of shit, we can still flourish. ❤
A reminder for anyone who needs to hear/read this A reminder for anyone who needs to hear/read this today. I've been so inspired, so honoured to experience the strength of the women who are at the @wearethemainstream's event today. It seems our strength is often forged and fortified through pain... but to be able to share it, to bear it together, to transform it and alchemise it... to turn into a sisterhood that rebuilds this world. 

#IWD2021 #iwdaiaw
Throwback to a year ago... The perfectly timed hol Throwback to a year ago... The perfectly timed holiday that ended days before the words “global pandemic” became a regular part of my vocabulary. I've been on the weirdest roller coaster ride of a year since this photo was taken. Even the past few weeks have seen so many highs and lows. What is this craziness? And where is the pause button?

#midnightreflections #IShouldSleep 

Image: Photo of the sun rising amidst grey clouds over the ocean on the east coast of Bali. A man is walking on the sand, in the distance along edge of the water.
Today, we celebrate the women of the world. I th Today, we celebrate the women of the world. 

I think of my mother and my sisters - the women who have always inspired and encouraged me to up my game. To be respectful of self so I am fully able to respect others. To be unapologetic in my faith and my fight for the underdog. The women who have shown me time and time again that heroines are forged in the fire of love. 

I think of the women in my life who are a beacon of strength, hope, compassion, charity, healing, life, power, humility, leadership and service. The dear friends, teachers, mentors, bosses and colleagues who have paved their own path and helped me lay my own. The world needs more of you. I hope to be one of you.

And for the women in the world who need healing (who, let's face it, is all of us at some point or another). I celebrate you today. Your brokenness can be a beacon too. The world needs WHO you are: cracks, fears, mistakes, insecurities and all. Because deep beneath those cracks, fears, mistakes and insecurities lie desire,  dreams, redemption and a hope that there is better out there. 

We will create better, together. 

Image: Close-up of a hand-made sticker with the words: “The nation doesn't simply need whay we have. It needs who we are. Edith Stein (St Teresia Benedicta a Cruce)” in black ink.

#IWD2021 #InternationalWomensDay
Don't mind me - I'll just be sitting there with te Don't mind me - I'll just be sitting there with tea and treats in hand while the other three women on this panel wow us with their words of wisdom. Join me? 

#westernsydneyartists
***

Posted @withregram • @blacktownarts Hear from award-winning women writers and artists of diverse backgrounds – including Evelyn Araluen (@evelynaraluen), Maryam Azam, Sarah Malik (@sarah_b_malik) and artist Joy Adan (@joyadanwrites) – about their experiences of living in Blacktown, and what makes the area a potent source of artistic inspiration and the hottest rising arts scene in Sydney. Then relax and mingle with a cup of traditional tea and savoury or sweet treats from Afghan Women on the Move (@_awotm).

Stories from 2148 
Saturday 17 April 
12pm – 2pm
Free
Link in bio to book 

@sweatshop.ws #sweatshopws #storiesfrom2148 #women_artists #women_writers #inspiration #blacktownarts #blacktown #ThisIsHowWeMakeArt #fromthehoodtothepage #writing #westernsydney #culture #diversity #community
It doesn't matter how old I get, it doesn't hurt t It doesn't matter how old I get, it doesn't hurt to be reminded... 😜

Image: A quote from the Dr Seuss book “Oh, the Places You'll Go!” hand-lettered in rainbow watercolour ink. The text reads “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”
Had one of those “pinch me, I must be dreaming” moments today. I finally opened this book set from @philipjamolin & @simmyyyy and Mr Z asked me to read him the one about Maya Angelou. Then Mr 8 joined us and read his little bro the other two books. 🥰

These books remind me of the ones I used to read in primary school. There was a collection of illustrated books about different historical figures in our school library and I was obsessed with them! That's where I first discovered Helen Keller and a bunch of other inspiring, everyday heroes. Now... to collect the rest! 

#littlepeoplebigdreams #raisingreaders
Follow @joyadanwrites

Words that uplift and empower

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