A Reflection On Joy

Embracing An Imperfect Life

🎨 Welcome

Poetry has always been my center. When I’m in need of real steadying, I seek it out.

I was doom scrolling on Instagram and saw a video of an open mic event. The man at the mic, name unknown, was reciting a poem about joy. It struck me as true. So I searched, found the poem, and created a video of my new art project with this poem as the narration. The poem is “Joy Chose You” by Donna Ashworth.

What I’ve been thinking about since reciting this poem in the video: We can’t wait for life to resolve into an imagined perfect state before we embrace joy. We don’t get to summon joy when we need her most. At least I can’t seem to. What we can do is be ready. Be ready to embrace joy when she appears. And, of course, be ready to let her go again when she leaves.

However your creative projects allow you to embrace joy, I am sending love to you. I hope you will keep going toward your creative dreams.

Good journey,

~Emily Lupita

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🌈 A Reflection on Joy - Art Project Video

These are some of the questions I’m asking myself as I wind my way through this new art project:

How do we embrace joy amid this imperfect life? When is my smile real? When is it a social mask? When am I joyful - even without a smile? Why are my Lupita self-portrait paintings never smiling? (Except, of course, for the one where Lupita is being shot through the heart with a hundred arrows. In this painting, Lupita smiles.)

I’m still thinking about it all. This is the beginning of something creative - the final project may not look anything like this. It feels super vulnerable to share this video. But here goes…from my heart to yours.

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Let me know what you think in the comments.

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🌸 The Brothers Riding Camels

This is the second page I’ve finished with camels. This time the boys are enjoying a ride along the unique terrain of Cappadocia. I love the sky in this painting.

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I love imagining my sons riding camels together and having a beautiful day out under the sun. I keep working on my Cappadocia book every day…one page at a time. One day at a time.

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👩🏻‍💻 Instagram

I have a goal to post my new portraits and videos up on my Instagram account as they flow out. I hope to connect with you there as well. @EmilyLupitaSeries

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❤️‍🔥