Hey there -
Most everyone I know is having a tough time right now—either tangibly or existentially or both.And with so much not okay going around, I've had trouble thinking up a pep talk for you.They all seem so silly. No... worse that silly: tone-deaf.Like, what good's a pep talk gonna to do in the face of *gestures at everything*?A couple of days ago I saw this post from author Jonathan Edward Durham (@thisone0verhere):
Going to greet next month with what can only be described as "Joymaxing." Max pets, max books, max music, max every silly little thing that makes me happy. I'm also maxing out *your* joy. Oh you found a cool rock? I wanna see it because that's awesome. It's spaghetti night tonight? I LOVE that for you. Got Wordle in two guesses? Let's &#%ing go! Max contagious joy.
I shared Jonathan's post to my Instagram stories, and then worried I shouldn't have.Because is joy even allowed right now?I decided it has to be, Kelley. We can't afford to get swallowed up by outrage; it's not sustainable. It'll short-circuit our nervous system.So let's take Jonathan's post as our pep talk for today.
Pep Talk #058: Joymax.
Obviously we all find joy in different things. But today I thought I'd give you my top-of-mind list of things that have helped me look up when I feel myself closing down.Some are funny, but most are just reminders of how much magic is all around us.
4 Artists
- Choreographer, Kyle Hanagami
- Singer-Songwriter, Benson Boone
- Ceramic Artist and Donkey Enthusiast, Erin Farrow
- Poet, Andrea Gibson
3 Instagram Accounts
- Thoughts of Dog
- Duolingo (unhinged!)
- Indie Rose Crawford
3 Books
- Ross Gay, The Book of Delights
- Mary Roach, Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law
- David Sedaris, A Carnival of Snackery
I mostly read serious books, so this was the toughest category to think up. Also, I think I'm legally obligated to tell you those are affiliate links, which I'm hoping you've come to expect since I'm a bookshop owner.
3 Recipes
- Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Basil Sauce with Burrata (Use fresh mozzarella instead.)
- Crockpot Potato Soup (Serve with Famous Dave's cornbread.)
- Dutch Oven No Knead Bread (Full disclosure: I haven't made this yet, but how can it possibly be joy-less? It can't. There's no way.)
Send me a few of your go-tos, will you?
With love,
Kelley
