the radical joy project
how we stay whole in the midst of madness
During these turbulent times, it’s so easy to get swept up in the noise, to feel like we’re constantly bracing for the next crisis, the next bomb to be dropped. It is a horrible way to exist but sadly bracing for impact is where we find ourselves now. We’re living in a constant state of flight or fight, our nervous systems are fried, and every headline confirms our worst fears.
The question we need to keep asking ourselves is how do we stay whole in the midst of all the madness? How do we find balance in these turbulent years? What can we do to not only stay sane but to actually feel a sense of hope and optimism? Put simply we return to principles of The Radical Joy Project - Community, Creativity, Self Care and Spirituality. This is our toolkit for the Soul. Keep coming back to it. Often. Revise when necessary. Reflect on what’s working and what isn’t. Answer the questions that your heart has been asking. Go deeper. Go higher. Spend time reviewing these concepts and apply them with an open heart. This is the path to wholeness, peace, optimism and change. For ourselves and the new world we want to usher in. Bonus: it’s a middle finger to those who are trying to defeat, divide and overwhelm us.
Community reminds us that we’re not alone, that we thrive when we’re connecting to our people. The isolation and division is a fucking plague and it’s up to us to BE the bridge back to each other. Full stop.
Creativity is a spiritual path back to ourselves. It teaches us to surrender, trust, and to not abandon ourselves during the messy parts. Just like life.
Self Care is not a luxury. It is tending to the mind, body, and spirit, and how we take our power back. It’s how we stay resilient and grounded.
Spirituality helps us remember that we are part of something bigger. Believing in the magic and the mystery is what keeps us spinning and expanding and reaching higher.
The Radical Joy Project is an ever evolving space for the mind, body, and spirit. Deep, practical, work that moves us closer to our luminous lives. Because we deserve that. We deserve peace and a regulated nervous system. We deserve hope and optimism even in the midst of madness. We deserve a sense of childlike wonder and joy, especially now.
April’s Soul Work
So in honor of wonder and joy let’s do a little experiment over the next few weeks. I created a pdf called Radical Joy Bingo. It’s self explanatory. You’ll see squares that have suggestions and blank squares for you to come up with your own options. Print this out and put it in a place of prominence like your refrigerator. Each day try your best to complete a tiny little joy. Cross it off just like a real Bingo game. Remember, we’re imprinting joy into our brains, rewiring our pathways, signaling our brain to be on the lookout for wonder and joy. There’s real science behind this, I swear! Bring this with you to our next gathering to share and celebrate. There will definitely be prizes!
One more thing…
Please bring your goals/dreams/journal/calendar to the April 20th gathering. Refer all the way back to the January newsletter if you need a refresher but basically I want to bring all of that to our April 20th gathering for “review”. That sounds so official but think of it as a little accountability and support. Let me be the first to confess…I SUCK at calendars and scheduling in my goals. SUCK! I need help here! So bring your lists, your calendar, your journal or whatever it is you’re using to capture the things you are trying to dream into being in 2025. Let’s use this circle to push past discomfort and complacency!
April Art Project
We’re going to do another mixed media project honoring Spring. Because holy moly can I use some Spring right now! Using the same principles we’ve used in the past, we’ll create our layers and use flowers as our focal piece(s). I have 4 wooden substrates you can use or if you’d prefer you can bring your mixed media journals and work within that. Wooden pallets are best if you're using a lot of wet glues or matte mediums. Just a thought. Here are some examples and sources of inspiration.
“In a time of hate, Love is an act of resistance. In a time of fear, Faith is an act of resistance. In a time of misinformation, Education is an act of resistance. In a time of poor leadership, Community is an act of resistance. In a time like this, Joy is an act of resistance. Resist. Resist. Resist.”
Sending you all tons of sunlight and joy. See you April 20th for more of the same!