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Finding Joy

How-To

4 things to do before you make big decisions
Creativity | Mind | Soul

4 things to do before you make big decisions

One of the defining characteristics of being human is our ability to exercise free will. Our ability to choose is…

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How we got our baby to sleep through the night
Family

How we got our baby to sleep through the night

Could it be? Has my baby worked out how to fall asleep on his own and through the night?? I…

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4 must-have books to survive the ‘witching hour’
Family

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

My baby just fell asleep. He was awake for 4.5 hours (I’m led to believe this is far too long a…

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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 and artist 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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findingjoyau
Sometimes I forget how good songs are until I have Sometimes I forget how good songs are until I have to sit down and letter them, and then I find all these other versions that are just a joy to listen to. ❤🎵 This one was for a Ruby (40 year!) #WeddingAnniversary gift for one of the most incredibly inspiring and loving couples we know. So lucky to have them in our lives! . . . #FindingJoy #JoyAdanWrites #PursuitOfJoy #PerfectlyImperfect #PracticeMakesProgress #CalledToCreate #CreativePractice #CreativeEntrepreneur #CatholicCreative  #Lettering #BrushLettering #HandLettering #CalligraphyPractice #TogetherWeLetter #BrushCalligraphy #Calligraphy #ModernCalligraphy #CalligraFriends  #CalligraphyLettering  #FreestyleCalligraphy #Handwriting #SmallBusiness #WeddingGift #AnniversaryGift #PersonalisedGift #SongLyrics #AcousticCover
St Mary Mackillop, pray for us. 🙏🏽✝️⛪ St Mary Mackillop, pray for us. 🙏🏽✝️⛪ #FeastDay #StMaryMackillop #MaryMackillop #WordsToLiveBy #CatholicSaints #CatholicCreatives
Well that was satisfying 🧘🏻‍♀️🌈✍ Well that was satisfying 🧘🏻‍♀️🌈✍ Anyone else out things away in rainbow order? #LivingLifeInColour #Colour #Rainbow #Watercolour #WatercolourPencils #FaberCastell #ArtistsOnInstagram #ArtTherapy #OneDayAtATime #PerfectlyImperfect
Quick project for @everythingeventsbyemma this wee Quick project for @everythingeventsbyemma this week - classic black freestyle lettering on large place cards to style the table at Friday night's celebration dinner. Shout out if you need some name cards for your next event. Available in different styles and colours of lettering to suit your theme. #Lettering #BrushLettering #Handmade #FormalEvents #EventStyling #Placecards #BusinessEvent #CreativeActivations #LetteringSydney #CalligraphySydney #SmallBusinessWesternSydney #WesternSydneySmallBusiness #HillsDistrictBusiness #HillsDistrictBusinessMums #SmallBusinessAustralia #CreativeBusinessAustralia
This is how makers spend their Saturdays 🤭 So This is how makers spend their Saturdays 🤭 So bloody proud of myself for getting through this in one sitting (by myself and no swearing too - hoorah!) 😝 All ready for some @cricut and crafting tools. The desk is from @SpotlightStores (and weighs 45kg so make sure you bring a buddy if you're going to buy one). #CraftRoomStorage #FlatPackAssembly #Organising
Another day, another creative warmup to get my hea Another day, another creative warmup to get my head out of “mum“/“cleaning”/“life admin” mode and into making, playing, and problem-solving mode. 🎨🖌🤪 I have a “rule” that once I start, I have to keep going even though I have no idea what the next step or image is going to be. The point of these isn't perfection, just practice. (And really just shaking my brain awake) 😝 #365DaysOfArt #365DaysOfDrawing #Watercolour #Illustration #FindingJoy #PracticeMakesProgress #ProgressNotPerfection
Playing with leftover paint, mixing colours, makin Playing with leftover paint, mixing colours, making leaves... This is really therapeutic when I've had a busy and challenging couple of weeks! #Watercolour #FreestylePainting #ArtTherapy #CreativeProcess #CatholicCreative #AustralianArtists
We celebrate #100daysofschool tomorow and Mr 5 ins We celebrate #100daysofschool tomorow and Mr 5 insisted he wear the number #100 so here's his hoodie (yes, he chose the words and/wrote “of excitement”). He really is a bundle of uncontainable excited energy. Little man is growing up. Feeling all the feels. 🤓🤭🥺 #CricutAustralia #CricutMade #LastMinuteGifts #PersonalisedHoodie
“Life is a search for the true, the good and the “Life is a search for the true, the good and the beautiful.” - Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI #FindingJoy #WordsToLiveBy #BrushLettering #FreestyleCalligraphy #PrayerJournal #CatholicCreatives
I still use physical journals and hand-write my no I still use physical journals and hand-write my notes. Who's with me? 📖🖋🙌🏽
I had grand plans of experimenting with watercolou I had grand plans of experimenting with watercolour pencils and having a colour wheel with colours that blended into each colour....only to realise once I added water that I'd used the wrong pencils. Ha! I guess that's the fun of doing these exercises (almost) everyday - it's learning, making mistakes, committing to practice, embracing accidents and eventually just letting the colour do its thing. 🤷🏻‍♀️ . . . #FindingJoy #JoyAdanWrites #PursuitOfJoy #PerfectlyImperfect #PracticeMakesProgress #CreativePractice #CreativeEntrepreneur #CatholicCreative
Happy Monday, friends! Cheers to the coffee lovers Happy Monday, friends! Cheers to the coffee lovers and anyone heading into week two of the school holidays 😜
Personal orders/commissions are my favourite thing Personal orders/commissions are my favourite thing to work on because I know I'm making something unique and meaningful for the person on the receiving end. ❤ It's my way of capturing a moment - a story - in something bright and beautiful. Something that puts a smile on someone's face. Some of these have made their way across the world to hang in nurseries, keep patients company in hospital wards, commemorate milestone anniversaries, celebrate life achievements... wherever they are, whoever they're for, I just want to communicate a simple message: you are loved and your story (no matter which part of it you're writing/living right now) matters. ❤🖌🎨 . . . . #FindingJoy #JoyAdanWrites #PursuitOfJoy #PerfectlyImperfect #PracticeMakesProgress #CreativePractice #CreativeEntrepreneur #CatholicCreative #Lettering #BrushLettering #HandLettering #CalligraphyPractice #TogetherWeLetter #BrushCalligraphy #Calligraphy #ModernCalligraphy #CalligraFriends  #CalligraphyLettering  #FreestyleCalligraphy #Handwriting #CreativeWriting #HandmadeGifts #ShopSmallAustralia #SmallBusinessAustralia
They said add this music to footage that makes you They said add this music to footage that makes you happy 🤷🏻‍♀️ ...I think I have a problem 😂 #ArtObsessed #ArtSupplies #Lettering #LetteringArtist #Watercolour #Colour #Markers #prismacolor olor #Tombow #Ecoline #Cricut
Gave myself 5 mins to draw a tree.. and quickly re Gave myself 5 mins to draw a tree.. and quickly realised I'm no good at drawing leaves quickly (I was frantically scribbling) ... so I cheated and got my paintbrush and painted the rest 😝 Yes that's me using my paintbrush straight from my watercolour pencils... Is that bad? What am I doing? 🤷🏻‍♀️ I don't know. One day at a time. . . . #FindingJoy #JoyAdanWrites #Lettering  #BrushLettering #Creative #CreativeDrawing #365DaysOfDrawing #ArtAustralia #Watercolour #Painting #Handmade #Drawing #FreestyleArt #CatholicCreatives #Inspiration #WordsToLiveBy #PursuitOfJoy #PerfectlyImperfect
Umm... I'm trying to work my way through the “36 Umm... I'm trying to work my way through the “365 Days of Drawing” book and I tell you what... carving out time to just create is not as easy as it sounds. So many things jump at me, vying for my attention. And so I have to steal time from other things. And I say I “have to” because it's true. If I don't make, I get stuck in other parts of my life. I hit a road block. So I guess me carving out creative time is me proactively removing the road block (mind blocks, writers blocks, idea blocks, spiritual blocks) before they become a real problem. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I dunno. Does anyone else get this way? Anyway, hope you can journey with me! . #FindingJoy #JoyAdanWrites #PursuitOfJoy #PerfectlyImperfect #PracticeMakesProgress #CreativePractice #ArtistsofInstagram #CatholicCreative #WesternSydneyArt #ThisIsHowWeMakeArt #DrawingPractice #PatternDesign #RainbowPatterns
WIP/a sneak-peak at my “mobile” watercolour se WIP/a sneak-peak at my “mobile” watercolour setup 😜 Recovery has been slow and up and down. 💔 So even though some of my appointments were cancelled yesterday, I ditched my icy-cold keyboard and used the time I was meant to be out for a self-prescribed painting session at Nurragingy Reserve. Loved being able to defrost in the winter sun. 🌞 Image: A flatlay of a mini watercolour paint palette, paint brushes in a cup of dirty water, A4 plastic pencil case containing an assortment of brushes and pencils, and the first layer of a watercolour gum tree painting spread out on a red tartan picnic rug. . . . #FindingJoy #JoyAdanWrites #PursuitOfJoy #PerfectlyImperfect #PracticeMakesProgress #CreativePractice #CreativeEntrepreneur #Watercolour #Painting #CatholicCreative #SmallBusinessAustralianMade #SmallBusinessAustralia #SmallBusinessAus #SmallbBusinessSupportAU #ShopSmallAustralia #EtsySellerAU #StartupAUS #SmallBusinessesMatter #EtsySellersAustralia #ShopSmallMovement #CraftBusinessOwner  #ArtsandDesign
Personalised, hand-lettered pieces 💕 . . . Personalised, hand-lettered pieces 💕 . . . . #FindingJoy #JoyAdanWrites #PerfectlyImperfect #PracticeMakesProgress #CreativePractice #CreativeEntrepreneur #CatholicCreative #SmallBusinessAustralianMade #SmallBusinessAustralia #SmallBusinessAus #SmallbBusinessSupportAU #EtsySellersHandmade #ShopSmallAustralia #EtsySellerAU #StartupAUS #SmallBusinessesMatter #EtsySellersAustralia #ShopSmallMovement #CraftBusinessOwner  #ArtsandDesign #Handmade #ArtistsAustralia #PersonalisedGiftsAustralia #PersonalisedGiftIdeas #CatholicGifts
Went to my first Open Studio session at @blacktown Went to my first Open Studio session at @blacktownarts today... It was so lovely to meet other artists and paint with them, each of us working on our own thing, using different techniques and materials. We've had some beautiful bouquets sent to ours over the past couple of weeks and seeing them always makes me smile so I thought this would be a nice way to take stock and honour what's happened lately. Maybe next time I'll be braver and try a portrait or landscape or something. 😜 . . . . #FindingJoy #JoyAdanWrites #PursuitOfJoy #PerfectlyImperfect #PracticeMakesProgress #CreativePractice #CreativeEntrepreneur #CatholicCreative #ThisIsHowWeMakeArt #Watercolour #WatercolourFlowers #WatercolourBouquet #Flowers #Bouquet #Painting #PracticePainting #EmergingArtist #ArtistsAustralia #ArtistAtWork #AustralianArtists #WesternSydneyArtist #SydneyArtist #WesternSydney
Was driving home alone tonight and had the music u Was driving home alone tonight and had the music up loud and was singing/rapping along and it's the first time in a long time that I've actually felt a bit normal. One day, I'd like to share with you what's been occuppying my mind and heart... but for now, here's my creative mantra/artistic approach lettered on a couple of hand-pressed bags. ❤ If I'm honest, it's also been a bit of a life mantra... because nothing is perfect here on earth. And so I like to encourage my students/fellow creatives to reflect on this approach especially in my workshops. It gives us freedom to experiment, try new things, “fail” and try a different way, enjoy the process and embrace the mess. The only way we can improve is if we accept that we are never truly “done”... so we must aim for progress, not perfection. 📷 Image: practice practice practice practice makes p̶e̶r̶f̶e̶c̶t̶ progress Lettered in black ink on white calico. . . . . #FindingJoy #JoyAdanWrites #PursuitOfJoy #PerfectlyImperfect #PracticeMakesProgress #CalledToCreate #CreativePractice #CreativeEntrepreneur #CatholicCreative
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Finding J😜y 🎨

Hi! I'm Joy. I am a writer and artist 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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