Joyful

1. Joy is all around us, accessible through the physical world.

Joy isn’t hard to find at all. In fact, it’s all around us.

Rethinking joy's source. Contrary to conventional wisdom that joy is purely internal, the physical world profoundly influences our emotions. Simple objects and environments can reliably elicit feelings of delight, challenging the idea that material pleasure is superficial. This perspective suggests the world is a reservoir of positivity we can access anytime.

Environment impacts mood. Research demonstrates a clear link between surroundings and mental health. Sunny workspaces improve sleep and laughter, while flowers boost mood and memory. Recognizing this connection allows us to intentionally seek out or create environments that lift our spirits, transforming our daily routines and home life.

Ignoring our instinct. Many people feel an impulse to seek joy in their surroundings but are taught to ignore it, viewing efforts like buying flowers as frivolous. Reawakening this instinct reveals that joy is not difficult to attain through introspection or discipline, but is readily available through tangible, physical attributes in the world around us.

2. Vibrant color and light (Energy) are fundamental sources of vitality and joy.

Color is energy made visible.

Color's powerful effect. Bright, vivid color invariably sparks delight and is universally understood to be joyful, as seen in global festivals and children's intuitive associations. This connection is deeply embedded in our language and psychology, where brightness signifies positivity and vitality.

Evolutionary link to survival. Our highly developed color vision is not a luxury but an integral sense linked to finding energy sources. Evolving a third cone allowed primate ancestors to distinguish ripe fruits and nutritious leaves, intertwining bright color with the pleasure of finding nourishment. This ancient circuit still lights up with joy at colorful objects, signaling a vibrant environment capable of sustaining us.

Infusing life into spaces. Bright colors activate us, acting like a stimulant for the eyes and stirring us out of complacency. Projects like painting buildings in Tirana, Albania, or schools in New York City with vibrant hues have shown dramatic positive effects on behavior, safety perception, and community vitality, demonstrating that color can function like "organs" that go straight to the heart of things.

3. Sensory richness and multiplicity (Abundance) stimulate our senses and well-being.

The abundance aesthetic is defined by a layering of color, texture, and pattern, and you don’t need a lot of stuff to achieve it.

Primal draw to plenty. The feeling of abundance, like being in a candy store or a lush landscape, evokes a giddy pleasure rooted in our ancestors' need to take advantage of windfalls during unpredictable scarcity. This biological drive encoded a predilection for environments rich in potential resources, which still manifests as a preference for lush, biodiverse habitats today.

Sensorial richness matters. While material accumulation can be maladaptive in a world of plenty, the joy of abundance is truly about sensorial richness. Environments that offer a layering of color, texture, and pattern stimulate our senses, which is vital for healthy neural development in children and maintaining cognitive functioning and emotional well-being in adults.

Waking up the senses. Sparse, minimalist environments can act as anesthetics, numbing our senses and leading to sensorial hunger. Conversely, abundant environments, like Snoezelen rooms used in therapy, wake the senses up, bringing us to life and potentially mitigating negative moods and behaviors. Incorporating diverse textures, colors, and patterns into our surroundings, even in small doses like confetti or rainbow colors, can provide this vital stimulation.

4. Nature and open spaces (Freedom) liberate our bodies and minds.

In nature, anyone can have a full and free experience of the world.

Visceral sense of freedom. We have a deep, visceral awareness of how free we feel in different environments, with nature consistently ranking as the most liberating. This preference is rooted in our evolutionary history, where open grasslands with scattered trees offered an ideal balance of safety (refuge) and opportunity (prospect) for hunter-gatherer ancestors.

Nature's restorative power. Access to nature, even small patches like urban parks or views from a window, has tangible benefits for well-being. Studies show nature views reduce stress, improve attention, lower blood pressure, and even shorten hospital stays. Natural settings literally make us more carefree by decreasing blood flow to brain regions associated with brooding.

Liberating our senses. Beyond broad vistas, nature liberates our senses through subtle fluctuations in temperature, scent, air, and humidity often removed in built environments. This sensorial richness, part of our innate biophilia, connects us to the living world and provides a sense of rootedness that paradoxically fuels our freedom to explore and take risks.

5. Order, symmetry, and flow (Harmony) create a sense of ease and connection.

Order isn’t dull and staid. It is a tangible manifestation of a vibrant harmony, of disparate parts working in concert to sustain the graceful balance of life.

Joy in organization. Seeing objects arranged neatly or experiencing perfect synchrony, like the Rockettes' kick line, brings delight. This stems from the brain's pleasure in identifying patterns and grouping similar objects (similarity principle), which simplifies visual information and is linked to reward mechanisms.

Harmony combats disorder. Disorderly environments are linked to negative emotions like powerlessness and anxiety and can subtly influence behavior towards rule-breaking. Harmony, whether through symmetry, repetition, or rhythm, provides visible evidence of care and investment, creating a sense of stability and ease that counters chaos.

Flow enhances well-being. Harmony enables smooth "chi" or flow through a space, which is vital for physical and emotional well-being. Feng shui principles, like clearing entryways or arranging furniture for easy movement, aim to optimize this flow. Creating visual flow through consistent elements or patterns allows the eye to move easily, reducing mental load and fostering a sense of calm.

6. Round shapes and curvilinear forms (Play) invite lightheartedness and creativity.

Aesthetically, the story of childhood is the story of the circle and the sphere.

Approachable forms. Round shapes and spheres are universally magnetic, especially to children, and are often used as toys regardless of their original purpose. This is partly because they lack sharp edges, which our emotional brain unconsciously associates with danger, making round forms feel safe and approachable.

Affordances for play. Curved objects offer a broad range of "affordances," or ways they can be used, making them ideal for undirected, novel activity characteristic of play. Unlike angular objects that limit movement and increase formality, round shapes encourage fluid motion and spontaneous interaction, fostering a sense of lightheartedness.

Unlocking creativity. Curvilinear movements, common in play, have been shown to unlock more flexible thought patterns and heighten creativity. Incorporating curves into our environments, whether through architecture, furniture, or decor, may induce the eye to move in ways that prompt fluid thinking and open-mindedness, suggesting playfulness is not just for leisure but vital for work and learning.

7. Contrast and unexpected elements (Surprise) capture attention and uplift our mood.

Surprise also intensifies our other emotions.

Redirecting attention. Surprise is a primary emotion that quickly redirects our attention, alerting us to deviations from expectation. This heightened alertness can prepare us for sudden danger, but also for unexpected opportunities and joys, acting like a magnifying glass that imbues tiny pleasures with heightened significance.

Amplifying joy through contrast. Visual surprise stems from the contrast between an object and its context. Amplifying this contrast, as seen in yarn bombing or street art patching buildings with Legos, makes even small interventions stand out, acting as a force multiplier for other aesthetics like energy and abundance.

Gateways to engagement. Small, surprising interventions can illuminate overlooked areas or problems in a joyful way, capturing attention and fostering engagement. Hide-and-reveal techniques, like tucking colorful patterns into hidden spaces or using unexpected details, create renewable hits of surprise that make ordinary routines delightful and remind us we are the architects of our own joy.

8. Elevation and lightness (Transcendence) offer perspective and elation.

Elevation can be magical in its ability to clear our minds and open up space for joy.

Upward metaphors for joy. Our language and unconscious associations link upwardness with positivity and joy, likely stemming from the physical experience of a joyful body (erect posture) and the fundamental constraint of gravity. Breaking free from gravity's pull, even vicariously, feels inherently joyful.

Gaining perspective. Elevated spaces, from lookout towers and skyscrapers to treehouses and even simple staircases, offer a shift in perspective that clears the mind and promotes abstract thinking. This can help us focus on the big picture, adhere to values, and resist short-term temptations, fostering a sense of elation or "elation" (from Latin "raised up").

Lightness as transcendence. Beyond physical elevation, a sense of lightness in objects and spaces also evokes transcendence. Light colors, translucent materials, slender forms, and negative space reduce visual weight, mimicking the diaphanous quality of light at elevation. This aesthetic brings some of the sky's lightness down to earth, creating spaces that feel uplifting and airy.

9. Invisible forces and illusions (Magic) spark wonder and imbue life with meaning.

Magic becomes even more wondrous when it leaves the stage and blends in with real life.

Enchantment in the unseen. We find enchantment in uncanny coincidences, astronomical events, and fleeting glimpses of beauty, interpreting them as signs of destiny or the divine. This belief in magic, while irrational, imbues life with a deeper sense of meaning and purpose, fighting the cold sense of being alone in the universe.

Magic in the landscape. Mysterious natural phenomena, like the aurora borealis or geothermal activity, disrupt our sense of certainty and spur magical thinking. Cultures in extreme landscapes often develop rich lore about hidden forces or creatures, personifying the power that lives in the terrain and offering explanations for the unknown.

Instruments of wonder. Artists and designers can create magical effects by manifesting abstract forces or challenging natural laws. Using simple materials to create illusions (like fog or rainbows indoors) or employing technology to make objects levitate or disappear brings wonder into everyday contexts, reminding us that the world is bigger and more amazing than we might assume.

10. Synchrony, sparkle, and bursting shapes (Celebration) foster connection and release.

At the heart of celebration is a kind of mathematical paradox: the more we share joy, the more it grows.

Communal joy. Celebrations mark life's pinnacles and draw us into communal experience, fostering belonging and attunement. Sharing positive events with others increases our sense of support and boosts our own joy, demonstrating that joy is contagious and amplified when shared.

Synchrony builds bonds. Music and dance are essential to celebration because they create synchrony, aligning physiological states like heart rates and fostering a sense of unity. Moving or singing together shifts focus from individual needs to group needs, giving rise to collective effervescence and making us more generous and attuned to others.

Amplifying exuberance. Celebratory aesthetics like sparkle, bursting shapes (fireworks, confetti), and oversize elements (giant balloons, checks) amplify the natural gestures of joy and make the occasion feel special. These elements create a magnetic focal point, drawing people together and providing a space for the visceral release of energy and a temporary escape from daily constraints.

11. Cycles and organic forms (Renewal) signify growth, resilience, and hope.

Out of ends, renewal creates beginnings.

Nature's reliable cadence. Natural cycles—seasonal changes, sunrise/sunset, tides—provide a reliable cadence of renewal that brings joy back to us regularly. This cyclical concept of time, deeply ingrained in our ancestors' lives, offers something to look forward to and counters the pain felt when joy ebbs in a purely linear view of time.

Hope in transformation. Landscapes and objects that embody growth, burgeoning, and transformation evoke a sense of renewal. The blossoming of trees, the unfurling of leaves, and organic forms like S curves and spirals suggest dynamic energy and potential, reminding us that life is ever-changing and nothing is irredeemable.

Cultivating resilience. Engaging with natural cycles and incorporating elements of renewal into our surroundings fosters resilience. Like the cherry trees blooming after a tsunami or wildflowers sprouting through concrete, these reminders of nature's ability to create beginnings out of ends instill hope and reignite the optimism that joy will return, even after difficulty.

12. We can actively design joy into our surroundings and daily lives.

By putting joy into the world around you, you’re expressing the hope that tomorrow can be better than today, and the belief that it is worth trying to make it so.

Joy is a choice and a craft. The book's core message is that joy is not just something to be found or passively received, but something we can actively make for ourselves and others. By understanding the aesthetics of joy, we gain a palette and toolkit to intentionally infuse our homes, workplaces, and communities with delight.

Small gestures, big impact. You don't need massive resources or grand projects to create joy. Small changes—a colorful mural, a few houseplants, a patterned rug, a surprising detail—can act as catalysts, sparking upward spirals of positive emotion that change a space, a mood, or even a community.

Becoming a joymaker. Recognizing that we are all artists involved in constructing our world empowers us to prioritize joy. By choosing to incorporate elements of energy, abundance, freedom, harmony, play, surprise, transcendence, magic, celebration, and renewal, we not only enhance our own lives but also contribute to a more vibrant, connected, and hopeful world for everyone.

Last updated: May 5, 2025