I don't make New Years Resolutions, but I have been working on getting more joy into my life.    At times the world can seem to be a pretty dark place (especially in January!) and looking for those little sparks of joy in our lives is extremely important (it's a fact that people who experience more joy, have fewer illnesses and live longer!).  

Joy is a deliberate act, you have to seek it out, or to put it another way, we have to notice those little sparks mindfully and follow them.   Joy is in the little things, the way the sunbeam hits a wall and creates a shadow you love, seeing your first daffodil or playing with a toddler… 

And of course, splashing some paint around!    What makes you feel good?  What energises you?  Why aren't you doing more of these things?! 

In order to celebrate, I have two new clothing items, based on a piece of my art called "True North" - "Choose Joy" is designed to be bright and cheerful on a rainy day (speaking of which, you know true joy when you see a toddler splashing in a puddle in the rain!). 

"Choosing joy is like exercising a muscle, the more you do it, the easier it will become" Sophie Cliff.