Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about joy. Not the big, jazz hands “everything is perfect” kind, but the soul soothing version. The everyday comforting kind. The kind that lives in small rituals, silly comforts, and moments that make you exhale without even realising you were holding your breath.
Because let’s be honest: things feel heavy right now.
The world is loud. The news cycle is relentless. There’s pressure everywhere.
Earn more
Do more
Cope better
Keep up.
And even if we’ve always lived through something, it can feel like it’s all piling on at once. Big global stuff, personal stuff, financial stuff, emotional stuff. It adds up.
So when things feel like this, joy can start to feel frivolous. Optional. Even selfish.
But I don’t think it is.
I think joy - especially the small, silly, everyday kind - is grounding, required even. It’s what pulls us back into our bodies and reminds us that we’re human. That we’re allowed to laugh at jokes, collect little whimsical treasures, wear something just because it makes us feel good, or play that 90's playlist that makes you dance in the kitchen 💃
For me, joy often looks pretty ordinary...
🥰 A quiet morning at my bench.
🧘 My mantra ring that reminds me to exhale.
🥤 Drinking my Pepsi Max with a curly straw.
✨ Sparkly stickers on my computer monitor.
💖 Adding a splash of pink to...well anything!
And of course, all of this inevitably weaves into my business too.
Running a small business in this climate is… a lot. Rising precious metal costs, uncertainty, and the constant background question of “how long can this keep working?” have pushed me into a season of reflection. I’m looking closely at what Homebird Jewellery really is, what I want to say as a maker, and how I can keep creating in a way that feels sustainable - creatively, financially, and personally 💖
That might mean some gentle pivots. Fewer things, but more meaning. Using what I already have to create something new. Recycling, reworking, slowing down. Letting go of what no longer fits, and leaning harder into what does: storytelling, colour, personality, and jewellery that feel like tiny anchors of joy 🌈
Alongside that, I’ve also been listening more closely to myself. With lingering and (still!) unknown health issues I need to work with my energy, and what I actually need, or don't need, in order to keep going. Not all battles are global. Some are quiet and internal, and they deserve just as much care.
I don’t have everything figured out. I'm not sure any of us do if I'm honest.
But I do know this: choosing joy doesn’t mean ignoring reality.
It means meeting it with softness, creativity, and intention. It means deciding that even when things are hard, we’re allowed to seek out what makes us feel alive.
So if things feel heavy for you right now, this is your permission slip to find joy wherever you can — however small, silly, or insignificant it might seem. Dance to you favourite song. Wear the colourful jewellery. Laugh at the stupid thing!
