Places of Joy

“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.” 
― Rumi

Whether it’s starting a new creative project, going for a jog or spending time with family, we can find joy in everything we do. Joy can also be found in the world around us – from a well-organized home to a colourful wall freshly painted. In her book Joyful, designer Ingrid Fetell Lee says, “We are often taught that our external environment has little or no impact on our inner joy. Increasingly, experts urge us to find balance and calm by looking inward — through mindfulness or meditation — and muting the outside world. But what if the natural vibrancy of our surroundings is actually our most renewable and easily accessible joy?”

You don’t need to travel the world to find excitement, because beauty and joy are everywhere: a new bloom in your garden, a trail near your city, that quaint house around the corner with the tree in front. And even memories of travelled places can bring a smile to your face.

Writing about the surroundings that make us feel most joyful and why is a great way to elevate our spirit. Here are some writing prompts to help you get started.

1. What is it about a certain place that makes me smile?
2. How often do I feel unreservedly happy here?
3. What feeling does a certain garden, neighbourhood or room evoke in me?
4. My absolute favourite outdoor place is…
5. If I could travel to one place right now, where would that be?
6. My favourite part of my grandparents’ house was…
7. My favourite spot to read is…
8. A list of my favourite beach, mountain, lake, city and town to explore would include…
9. What I love most about my neighbourhood is…
10. When I’m outside, the things I love to watch, hear and smell are…

Check out all our prompts on the Paperblanks app! If you haven’t downloaded it yet, we’ve provided links on the bottom right of this page where you can gain access to hundreds of prompts on varying themes and topics.

And be sure to join us in our People of Paperblanks Facebook group so you can share your work with the rest of the Paperblanks community. We’d love to see what you write or create using these prompts!