It’s a special SFTW this week — the Creative Joy edition! We asked some of our favourite people to give us their take on creative joy and what it means/brings to their lives…

Christine Mason Miller’s creative joy loves this moment, plenty of water, quiet and laughter

Justine Musk: “creative joy is an arrow that points us to meaning.”

Janet Goldstein created an inquiry for finding your creative joy that will make your brain and heart buzz

Jeffrey Davis reminds us to embrace our inner goofy with love

Lisa Rough noticed the unexpected simplicity of creative joy

Chris Zydel opens your heart with an invocation of color

Tanya Geisler reminds us that we were born to create

Jamie Ridler feeds creative joy by following her own rhythm

Ronna Detrick tells a story about creativity in the darkness

Darrah Parker finds creative joy in unlikely places

Samantha Reynolds wrote a poem on the power of creativity

Heather Plett on how to create joy

Julie Daley asks will you let yourself open to orgasmic creativity?

Kyeli Smith made a video!

Lianne Raymond gave us an equation: deep rest + wild play = creative joy

Marney Makridakis suggests making a joyful clock

Eric Klein asks are you on fire for creative joy?

Amanda Oaks finds poetry in everything

Bridget Pilloud shared some tips on creative joy from her dog Olive

Liz Lamoreux explored creating space for joy

Lisa Sonora Beam looks at what supports (and gets in the way of) her creative joy

Andrea Scher on learning to turn on the faucet

Marianne Elliott talks about the joy of service

Jen Louden explores regaining your creative joy

Something for you!

And finally, there are still spaces on the Creative Joy retreat in June, so if you’re feeling the pull to join please do come — it’s going to be magic! In the meantime, we wanted to bring some creative joy to YOU, right now, so we’ve put together the Creative Joy Workbook — you can download it right HERE. Print it out, scribble in it, share with whoever you think needs it. There’s journalling space inside, and lots of questions, prompts and invites to help you dig into your own creative joy (and thanks to Jo for the joyful design!)

Hot tip: I recommend answering the questions in the workbook while listening to this week’s mixtape :)

Creative Joy. from Photobird on 8tracks.

When Jen, Marianne and I started talking about doing a retreat together, we knew we wanted JOY infused through everything: through the days, the workshops, through our connections with participants and each other, through it all. We wanted to create a space where JOY could be found. The further we dug, the more it became apparent that this JOY comes from our creativity. So obvious, really. It comes from writing, and photographing, and singing, and moving our bodies, and breathing through silence. It’s found in paint and pencil, in ink and the keyboard. It lives in the books we make and the ones we read. It can be stitched and knitted and moulded and cooked.

Creative joy seems to show up easiest when we let ourselves get lost in play. When we drop our expectations and let ourselves experiment and explore. I watch my nephew do this when he’s enjoying how water pours and sand crumbles and Play Doh squishes. I feel it too when I’m someplace new with my camera in my hands. When I forget about how I got there and just sink into what I SEE.

My creative joy comes from my imagination.
The excitement of the new.
Sunlight.
Vintage cameras.
The realisation that there are so many things in the world to be photographed, so many moments to record, so many places to explore.
Kissing.
Hope.
A two-year-old boy called Noah.
My eyes — the art and practice of SEEING.
Emotions, and allowing myself to feel them.
Being truthful about how I feel.
Wanting to get it down on the page.
Books, piles and piles of books.
Blogging and the community it builds.
My women friends.
How my sister and I inspire the best in each other.
Being an aunt.
Being alive.

Where do you find your creative joy?

Dear World (via Sas)

Hairy chests i want to cry on

A breath-taking reminder just how gigantic Jupiter really is

[Video] an invocation for beginnings from the awesome Ze Frank

The book of the future (via Sarah)

Invisible crown. from Photobird on 8tracks.

[video] Too much work and still broke?

Why we stay in a relationship (way) too long

Inspiring post from Julie this week: Weaving a new world

Photo of the week

And finally, Instant Love is featured in Mollie Makes this month!

Really honoured to have an article in the spring issue of Somerset Life (with my name on the cover, no less — a first! My journalism tutors would be so proud :)

Mmmm… brocollini salad | a simple lunch | simple bircher muesli

Read this now: Why the world needs more ambitious women

Also: Girls are smarter than boys, so what goes wrong in maths and science?

Love is letting him win even though you know you could slaughter him

It’s time to drop the apologies

Famous celebrities and their cameras

I can’t promise to do this every week, but I made another mixtape for you:

Opening. from Photobird on 8tracks.

In fact, I made two. If at any point this weekend you feel discouraged, down or plain bummed out, plug this mix in (download the 8 Tracks app) and go for a fast 20 minute walk. I’ve been doing this every morning and it makes my legs ache, my pulse race and my heart so much lighter. Try it.

Just bought Paul’s new book: Eat Awesome

It’s hard being two (via Joanna)

Currently reading: Jeanette Winterson’s memoir

The essential Adrienne Rich (also: Bentlily’s new Instapoem Facebook app)

7 ways you’re giving away your power

25 self-care tips for body & soul (via Amanda)

I’m thinking micro gardens are the way forward, non?

And finally, the photo of the week xo