WELCOME TO MY JOY

I am seeking joy. 

Unmitigated, undeniable, unquieted, audacious amounts of joy. 

This is why I believe that my life is a quest for joy.  Joy (to me) is a state of being that lives within the depths of my head, heart and soul.  She breathes resilience in me and provides me with fuel.  She whispers sweet nothings in my ear when the world does not.  She checks my ego and reminds me to be humble.  She tells me that a bad hair day is just that, and nothing more.  She tells me that the not-so-great outcome of a work project is just that.  She reminds me that life’s valleys are temporary because, she always comes in the morning.

She lifts me up, loves me and reminds me to love myself.  Joy reminds me of my blessings and keeps me grounded.  She speaks through others (such as my Mommy, Kai, Chinyere, Christie and Chaundra) to help me keep it real. 

I have a philosophy about maintaining joy.  This is to surround myself with what brings me joy.

I find joy in learning and experiencing the visual arts.  Call me crazy, but I get a charge from the architectural elements of a wonderfully designed building.  I fall head-over-heels for a fashion exhibition.  The fluffy, velvet-like petals and robust pinks of cherry blossoms have inspired more than a few of my acrylics on canvas and the silks of my scarves.  I may experience a mild loss of breadth when stepping into visually appetizing, “chi-chi-poo-poo” shoe or handbag boutiques.  Adrenaline pulses profusely through my veins upon entering museums.  And, I have been known to experience a moistened eye when encountering the oil on canvas brush strokes of a Monet, a Mitchell, a Sargent or an O’Keeffe.

But, just as important as the art work, is the story behind it: the people, the places, the politics and the adventures.  The eternal student in me is fascinated by the story because, the universal messages in art and design help me maneuver life’s obstacle and bring me closer to joy. 

Through this blog and this website, I plan to share my quest for joy with those who stop by. I hope that you enjoy my posts and glean a little something about art, about herstory and history, about the world and about yourself as a global citizen. If just one citizen of the WholeWideWorld finds me on the WorldWideWeb and is inspired, then I have fulfilled His purpose for my life and I have found joy.

Welcome to my head.  Welcome to my heart.  Welcome to my joy.

In love,

Kandra