@Branka Gittens Thank you, I'm happy to have shared 💙

@Carllie Jaxen Thank you 💙

Thank you @Paul Chamberlain she's my silly girl, 50 pound lap dog 😂

@Christine L thank you 💙

I've been sitting and smiling with the feeling that there is something special here in this community. It is such a validating feeling to know that we are connecting to the parts of ourselves that we know have always been there, yet have been masked or hidden away. WINS this week for me are working through the funny module and connecting to that absurd joy, that silly, giggly girl that has been quiet for too long.

I found this workshop extremely helpful. Each of us was at a different stage in the modules, yet we were able to draw connections and encouragement from one another. Thank you @Paul Chamberlain for making this process accessible. The exercise last night revealed to me that "I am smart because I can go slow and take the time to process, I see patterns and details, and I have depth and perseverance to stick with the important things."

I always like to revisit semantics and meaning when trying to describe anything that doesn't feel accessible. Building on what @Paul Chamberlain mentioned by Camus, absurd joy is "the happiness derived from accepting life's inherent meaninglessness by rebelling against it through conscious creation and affirmation of life despite its lack of ultimate purpose". I have always found a special joy that resides in being creative. Sitting down with whatever supplies you have and creating something out of it. Arts and crafts have a special place in my soul. I’m sure as many of you know filling your space with art that someone else makes can be quite pricey and we have lived on a students budget for the last 15 years or so (And still continue to do so because well there is no other way for use right now and that also taps in to our creativity). So for over a dozen years, my husband and I have created our own art to fill the walls of our home. It brings such joy to see the process and what we’ve been able to create with what we have. We have made ornaments, paintings, gifts, wedding decorations, and so much more. We have hosted paint nights with family and friends and created more than memories. We now live 1800+ miles away from any family in either direction, yet we have these memories to keep with us and decorate the walls of our home. It is such sweet joy to look back at some of these paintings and see family as well as time spent together, creating something beautiful or silly.