Creating Small Joys This Season

This Is How I’m Creating Small Joy This Season

The holidays have a way of being… a lot. It didn't used to be this way but has evolved into a whirlwind of "things". 

Not always in a bad way. Sometimes it’s beautiful and nostalgic and meaningful.
And sometimes it’s loud, emotional, busy, and layered with expectations we didn’t even realize we were carrying.

This year, I’m not trying to fix the season.
I’m not trying to make it perfect.
I’m not even trying to make it “productive.”

I’m choosing small joy on purpose.

And honestly? That choice alone has changed how this season feels in my body.

Small Joy Doesn’t Announce Itself

Small joy doesn’t come with fireworks or a to-do list.
It doesn’t need permission.
It doesn’t need to be earned.

It shows up quietly.

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For me, it looks like:

• Sitting with my iced coffee just a few minutes longer before the house wakes up

• Journaling without a prompt, without a goal—just letting the pen wander

• Pulling out paper scraps and scissors and cutting shapes for no reason at all

• Painting for ten minutes instead of waiting for “enough time” to finish a project

• Letting creativity be a place to land- a feeling, not something to complete

None of these moments are grand.

None of them would look impressive on social media.

But they steady me.

Read how I found "simple" to be the way for 2026-click the image below

Creativity as an Anchor (Especially This Week)

Holiday weeks can stir up more than decorations and plans.

There’s memory.
There’s grief. 
There’s comparison.
There’s the quiet pressure to feel a certain way because it’s “supposed” to be special.

This is where creativity has become my anchor—not as something I do, but as somewhere I go.

When I paint, cut paper, glue something down, or write a few messy lines in a journal, I’m not trying to create joy.

I’m noticing it.

Creativity slows me down enough to hear myself again. Creating quiets the noise all around me. 
It gives my hands something gentle to do while my thoughts settle.
It reminds me that calm doesn’t have to be earned through exhaustion.

Joy Can Be Simple (And That’s Not a Cop-Out)

Somewhere along the way, we started believing that joy has to be big to count.

Big moments.
Big transformations.
Big plans for January.

But this season has been reminding me of something quieter—and truer:

Joy can be simple.
Creativity can be simple.
Starting small is not failing—it’s choosing yourself.

A warm drink.
Ten minutes with paint.
Paper, glue, scissors, and no rules.
A page filled with words no one else will ever read.

Want to learn how to make this snowman ornament into a journal bookmark? Click the image below.

These moments don’t fix everything.
They soften things.
And sometimes, that’s exactly what we need.

The Shape of What’s Coming

This idea of small, intentional joy—the kind that fits into real life, not ideal schedules—is exactly what I’ve been building toward for January.

Not a reset.
Not a hustle-heavy program.
Not a “new year, new you” situation.

But a gentle rhythm.
A creative practice that feels doable.
A way to return to yourself regularly—without pressure, perfection, or overwhelm.

January isn’t about adding more.
It’s about creating space for what already helps you breathe.

And it starts the same way this season does:

Small.
Intentional.
And kind.

An Invitation (Not an Assignment)

As this week unfolds, I’m inviting you—just softly—to notice:

What brings you calm right now?
What helps you feel a little more grounded?
What small creative moment could you let yourself have today?

You don’t need to capture it.
You don’t need to optimize it.
You don’t need to turn it into anything.

Just notice it.

That’s where joy begins.
And that’s exactly where I’ll meet you in January. 💛

-teresa xo