Spring Joy

A little scrapbook of finding joy in changing seasons.

I feel best when all the color starts to come back. Spring, after winter, elicits a large sigh of relief from me.

Perrylane Hotel — Savannah, GA

We’ve been moving rapidly through 2024. Traveling more, which is exciting to both Connor and me. When I started dating him when I was 17, I showed him my Pinterest board where I had pinned every destination I had wanted to travel to since I made my account as a 6th grader. I dreamed of being a twenty-something on a plane with a cool destination (and dreamy man) and boom. Aced that one.

I WOULD be embarrassed to tell 12-year-old me that I hadn’t made it on Broadway yet, because she was pretty convinced that would happen by now.

When Connor & I were dating we’d look at my board of ideas that seemed distant and far-fetched. I suppose climbing Everest and kayaking through bioluminescent waters are still out of reach. But many a plane ticket has been purchased recently for work trips and a little Valentine’s retreat and we both love it. I always imagined I would love traveling often, and 12-year-old me was right.

I’ve also been pruning and purging.

My screentime has skyrocketed as I’ve posted furniture onto Facebook Marketplace. For a week, it became my full-time career trying to sell 1 couch. I almost updated my LinkedIn to reflect this.

Something about settling into the new year made me want to simplify.

I still have some closets to go through, but it’s shocking to take inventory and realize how much you have that you do not use or need. I’ve cleared out a lot, and besides having to coordinate on Facebook, it’s felt freeing to have some empty space.

I like that the objects I keep are just the ones I absolutely love and need.

I’ve simultaneously taken inventory of my own work. What is taking up my time? What do I love? What am I forcing myself to do when no one has asked me to do it?

I love that Bob Goff says, “The battle for our hearts is fought on the pages of our calendar.”

I’ve evaluated my to-do lists in major ways. Even some tearful ways. I started the year strong with a rebrand of my design studio/print shop. It has not been as fruitful or fulfilling as I hoped. Primarily, because I have a full-time job and my design work does not receive most of my energy right now. But also because it’s complicated.

Since closing my business, which I thought was my dream-come-true-forever, my creative work and I have not gotten along because of the pandemic. It’s like a bad ex. It’s rocky. I think I’m ready to move on and start something fresh and whoops — I’m in a puddle again!

Turns out, I don’t really like using my own name, Jenna O. Studio, for my work. I feel 1000% better when I can call my creative work by a different name. I feel a healthy detachment from it. Who knew? I obviously didn’t know this about myself because I just renamed everything to my name in very big letters, haha!

I recognize that I am constantly learning as I go, and it’s okay to adjust. Maybe a little embarrassing when you have to publically adjust, but still really good to do.

When it comes to my creative work, I’ve taken a long look at what I LOVE to do, and decided I simply don’t have time for the other stuff I don’t really like but for some reason feel obligated to maintain. I encourage you to also look at your to-do list and see if there is anything you could quit this year. Seriously. We should all quit things more often. Quit being self-deprecating. Quit beating yourself up. Quit saying yes when you don’t mean it.

Playing Oscar brackets in a hotel (I won)

As this spring has already produced so much change, which I am unfortunately averse to, I’ve formulated some ideas for maintaining joy during a season of change. Here’s what I got:

1. Find your pillars. What are the things that AREN’T changing? And how can I stay connected to them? Maybe it’s a friend that has been a friend for a long, long time. Maybe it’s as simple as a nighttime routine you’ve always kept. Or a book that meant a lot to you that you can reread.

2. What is something new I am excited about? Can you let yourself imagine YOU in your next season of life and get a little giddy? Maybe you are moving to a dorm for the first time, and leaving behind what you know is terrifying. Of course it is. But can you every now and then give yourself 2 minutes to be excited about how you will decorate? Or a restaurant in your new city you want to eat at? Or something small and easy to visualize?

3. Strengthen hope like a muscle. Write yourself sticky notes of reminders of hope. Listen to the most hopeful songs you know. Talk to friends who encourage and uplift. Count days off the calendar, keep lists, and keep moving — hard seasons will pass. Sometimes I think I’ve had like 5 back-to-back hard seasons…but I still maintain a belief that things do and will get better. If anything — I know I will be stronger and more capable in the future.

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As one more note to brighten your spring, I’d like to include an easy and fresh tea recipe from Color Theory Tea:

Flower Power Lemonade

Ingredients
3g of Loose Leaf OR 1 sachet of Bouquet Bloom Tea
Royal Rose Lavender Lemon Organic Simple Syrup
Lemonade 
Lemon Wheel for Garnish

Instructions

1. Steep tea in 6oz of water for 5 minutes. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.

2. In a large glass, combine 2-3 Tablespoons of Lavender Lemon Syrup and chilled tea. Give it a quick stir.

3. Add ice, then gently pour in 6oz of lemonade for a nice ombre effect.

4. Garnish with a lemon wheel and enjoy!

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