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Joyful: The surprising power of ordinary things to create extraordinary happiness

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A groundbreaking look at how we can harness small changes in our surroundings to lead happier, healthier, more fulfilling lives.

Using cutting-edge neuroscience and psychology, the renowned designer Ingrid Fetell Lee, whose TED talk has been viewed over 1 million times, explores how the mundane spaces and objects we interact with every day have surprising and powerful effects on our mood.

We are often taught that our external environment has little or no impact on our inner joy. Increasingly, experts urge us to find balance and calm by looking inward - through mindfulness or meditation - and muting the outside world. But what if the natural vibrancy of our surroundings is actually our most renewable and easily accessible source of happiness? In Joyful, Fetell Lee shows us how we can harness the power of our surroundings to access this supremely important emotion.

304 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2018

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About the author

Ingrid Fetell Lee

5 books197 followers
Ingrid Fetell Lee is a Brooklyn-based designer and writer whose work focuses on the way that design affects our health and happiness. As founder of The Aesthetics of Joy and in her role as IDEO fellow, she empowers people to find more joy in daily life through design.

Ingrid has over twelve years of experience in design and branding, most recently as Design Director of IDEO's New York office, having led design work for Target, Condé Nast, Eileen Fisher, American Express, Kate Spade, Diageo, Pepsico, and the US government, among others. She has been featured as an expert on design and joy by outlets such as The New York Times, Wired, PRI's Studio 360, CBC's Spark, Psychology Today, and Fast Company. She was a founding faculty member in the Products of Design program at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Her design work has been exhibited at imm Cologne, Germany.

Ingrid holds a Master’s in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute and a Bachelor’s in English and Creative Writing from Princeton University. Her first book, Joyful, will be published in North America by Little, Brown in September, 2018. She loves pancakes, polka dots, and rainbow sprinkles, and has an extensive repertoire of happy dances for any occasion.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,200 reviews
Profile Image for Miranda Reads.
1,589 reviews161k followers
December 9, 2020
description

We should manage joy in the exact opposite way that we manage money. We should spend it all, at every chance we get.
Ever look around a doctor's office, a school hallway, the dentist lobby, and think, something is missing here?

Spoiler alert: It's the joy.

Ingrid Fetell Lee takes a close look at how the simple pleasures in life (such as bringing joy to a room) ultimately transform lives.
We rediscover their joy again and again, and we fall a bit more in love each time.
But, that begs the question, what makes a room joyful?

Everyone can tell at an instant what things make them happy, but how do you take that and add it to a room?
...something clicked. I saw lollipops, pompoms, and polka dots, and it dawned on me: they were all round in shape.
Lee identified ten delightful categories of joy: Energy, Abundance, Freedom, Harmony, Play, Surprise, Transcendence, Magic, Celebration and Renewal - each of which has the power to transform rooms and lives.

This book gave me SO much to think about - so many little things that I always would notice but never understood their impact. Now I do.

For example, Lee talks about energy and its influence (through color) in the school classroom.

Many (many) schools across the United States look like standard state penitentiaries - minimal furniture, lack of personality and beige, lots and lots of beige.

But as Lee points out:
Beige is a desaturated yellow - a yellow with all the joy sucked out of it!
She goes on to describe Publicolor, a nonprofit with a goal of repainting schools fun, vibrant colors.

While you may scoff at the idea of repainting a room to bring joy, I want to point out that if a horror movie can design a room to make it unsettling, unnerving and absolutely terrifying, then surely we would want to do the exact opposite in school settings.

After a visit from Publicolor, Harlem school officials were absolutely shocked when grafitti declined, attendance increased and both student and teachers reported feeling safer in their cheery new classrooms.

Lee has many, many more examples - each one as delightful and surprising as the next. I absolutely adored reading every little anecdote and cannot wait to start transforming my house to make it a place of joy.
You have a whole world of joy right at your fingertips.
YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads
Profile Image for Will Byrnes.
1,325 reviews121k followers
September 13, 2018
I'm standing next to my table, everything neatly lined up, and I'm just hoping that my professors can see how much effort I've put into making my designs practical and ergonomic and sustainable. And I'm starting to get really nervous, because for a long time, no one says anything. It's just completely silent. And then one of the professors starts to speak, and he says, "Your work gives me a feeling of joy."…I asked the professors, "How do things make us feel joy? How do tangible things make us feel intangible joy?” They hemmed and hawed and gestured a lot with their hands. "They just do," they said… So this got me thinking: Where does joy come from? I started asking everyone I knew, and even people I just met on the street, about the things that brought them joy. On the subway, in a café, on an airplane, it was, "Hi, nice to meet you. What brings you joy?" I felt like a detective. I was like, "When did you last see it? Who were you with? What color was it? Did anyone else see it?" I was the Nancy Drew of joy. - from the author’s TED talk
Joyful is what she found out.

description
Ingrid Fetell Lee - image from her FB page

The answers are directed at the immediate senses, and how external elements, form, color, shape, texture, scent, or sound can offer joyful sensate experience.
Seeing it all laid out, it was clear that joy was not a mysterious, intuitive force; it emanated directly from the physical properties of the objects. Specifically, it was what designers called aesthetics—the attributes that define the way an object looks and feels—that gave rise to the feeling of joy.
She notes commonality in the joyful things she found in the world, and breaks that down to ten subject areas she labels the Aesthetics of Joy; Energy, Abundance, Freedom, Harmony, Play, Surprise, Transcendence, Magic, Celebration, and Renewal, looking at how each can be applied to improving our lives. She offers diverse, interesting, and enlightening examples from the real world of how each has been approached. While her focus is on our living and working spaces, selecting how to shape and what to put on our walls, desks, coffee tables, and mantles, to create more enriched environments, she also looks a bit at where and how you might find joy in the outside world.

description
Jihan Zencirli has made an uplifting business out a familiar joyous object – reflecting points about the joy of celebration and the impact of large objects in our festivities

If you are trying to engineer more joy into peoples’ lives, that is a form of psychological practice, whether board certified or not. (IFL does consult with several psychologists in trying to get a handle on joy.) But is this really so much different from any other artform that attempts to help us feel? Painting, writing/performing music, dance, writing poetry, fiction, and non-fiction, all seek to evoke a response.
A body of research is emerging that demonstrates a clear link between our surroundings and our mental health. For example, studies show that workers with sunny desks are happier and more productive than their peers in dimly lit offices.
She finds in the dominant modernist minimalism architecture and internal décor of contemporary life, the places we work, the buildings in which we live, the places where we learn, or secure needed services, a soul-sucking drain on our need for joy. She sees joy as a form of sustenance, no less than food, water, light, clothing, and shelter. We need at least some joy to keep going on.
We all have an inclination to seek joy in our surroundings, yet we have been taught to ignore it. What might happen if we were to reawaken this instinct for finding joy?
description
Pierre Cardin’s iconic Bubble Palace designed By Antti Lovag – image from nine.com.au – the author writes on the impact on creativity of curvy shapes in one’s environment

IFL offers some concrete examples of the impact of design on behavior. A non-profit took on the task of repainting schools, to make them more stimulating and inviting. The results were eye-opening, both in attendance and performance metrics. I suppose it is possible that the schools thus impacted might have been self-selected, and might have improved anyway. I did not dig deeply into the report, but it does at least seem like a wonderful idea, and ther results were encouraging.

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Even aprons designed for professional use can make restaurant workers feel a bit better - Image from Hedley and Bennett

I was talking about this book with a dear friend who was a chef, had owned and run a restaurant or three in her time, but is out of the business now. She said that one of the things that was very important to her was that the plates on which a meal was served complemented the food, drew the eye, made for a presentation that was about more than just aroma and flavor, but built anticipation. IFL is doing that here, on a much larger table.

The repeating joy in my experience, outside of things interpersonal, is the visual stimulation of the natural world. During a period of several years, my wife and I managed to visit many National Parks, and each experience was most assuredly joyous, seeing so much rare and exquisite beauty in American landscapes. But those days ended and I had to find something else to fill that need. When I got out of work on Sunday morning, I took to driving to different NYC parks and shooting what I could of local visual delights. The combination of natural light and man-made elements was no less joyous and filling than seeing the Grand Canyon or Death Valley. My park tour days are also a fond memory now, but there is singular joy to be had spotting a late afternoon cumulo-nimbus in glowing white, while its neighbor clouds are in shadow. Or the god-light rays of a setting sun visible from the upstairs deck in the back of our house. No, the visions do not pay the bills, but they do provide significant moments of feeling at one with the world. One thing IFL looks at is how to incorporate into one’s personal and/or work spaces ways to reproduce such natural salves, ways to remind ourselves of things that are natural. Turns out there are many ways to fill that bill.

Are We Going That High?
Are we going that high? - my shot from a joyous ride over the Willamette Valley in 2008 – (It is clickable, if you want a higher rez) IFL writes about the joy of transcendent feelings, and the correlation of upward movement with joy

One of the joys of this book is trailing along with the author as she talks with experts on design across the planet. I added some (ok, many) links in EXTRA STUFF. You will really enjoy checking out the linked designers and their work.description
Work by Eva Zeisel – image from the British Museum – reflecting the Renewal aesthetic, as Zeisel’s design shapes suggest nature and growth

Here’s a bad idea for design. Yes, a newborn’s first cry is a source of joy. Replaying it over and over is something less than joyful. Small repeating elements can, however, evince joyful feelings, as in confetti, sprinkles, or glitter. But I suppose they can also become distracting and intrusive, not to mention no fun for the cleaning staff.

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A “Reversible Destiny Loft” in Tokyo – The author tried it for a few days - Can enough physical stimulation in a living space reverse aging?

One may wonder, does the aesthetic IFL espouses reflect anything more than her own personal preferences? There is certainly a danger that confirmation bias might play a role here. By offering thoughtful discussion, and the assistance of professional practitioners, she made me feel pretty comfortable with there being a minimum of such sample soiling here.

There might be real issues with the values espoused and the degree to which one might take the recommended strategies. For example, IFL looks for examples of order as joyful. The notion is reminiscent of the broken-window theory that projected an increase in crime in places where unrepaired, publicly viewable damage was left untended. There was a basis for that and the policy was effective in the real world. But on a personal level, it is also possible that one man’s mess is another man’s nirvana. This is not hard science, with firm edges, but scientifically informed advice for directions that may lead you to a place you want to go.

description
Starburst lights at the Metropolitan Opera illuminate the Sparkle and Flare element of F-L’s Celebration aesthetic

The Brain Candy Corner
Here is a list of some notions from the book that provide food for thought, or, you know, brain candy. They are legion here
-----The impact of variable rather than uniform light
-----Preferred human landscape – both to live in and see in paintings on our walls – there appears to be one in particular that is favored almost universally
-----Can a living space that is stimulating enough slow aging?
-----Consider the diversity of our senses – thought you had five? Nah, many more.
-----A sparse environment numbs our senses
-----On minimalism as anti-sensory
-----On the shifting baseline syndrome – what seems wild today is less wild that what seemed wild a generation ago
-----On the relationship of joy to play
-----Association between play and circles
-----Yarn bombing
-----Ways to see the unseen
-----Fear of loss of personal interaction resulting from on-line life
-----On the roots of Carnevale
-----The appeal of balloons
-----Seasonality brings the promise of joy, while a simple one-way time flow makes the future always uncertain
-----On anticipation as an enhancement to joy

description
Yarn bombing in action – an element of the Surprise aesthetic – image from wiki – Bet this photo made you smile

One aspect that kept me wondering was a question of definition. Where does joy leave off and pleasure begin? Amusement? Enjoyment? Where do fun and happiness fit into this spectrum? How is joy different? Need joy be a purely positive thing? Can one have fun doing something awful? Sure, if one is psychologically damaged. But can one take joy in dark doings? Did Charles Manson experience joy when he was killing people? Maybe fun is less substantive. Like having had a fun time at a party, the beach, or a baseball game. Fun is ephemeral. It tickles our senses and then abates. How is this different from pleasure? Can pleasure be an ephemeral experience too? Joy, somehow, seems richer. I do not defend this notion at all. Going on feelz here. Joyful does not really address all this, and I guess it does not really need to. It seems perfectly ok to accept the presenting notion that joy is an absolute good thing, and that we human sorts have a need for joy in our lives, in the same way that we need more readily defined physical inputs. Is joy a sustaining experience? Can it become ecstatic, transcendental even? I think it can, based on personal experience. I once said to my son that the joy I experience from the beauty of the world was like a religion for me. His response was, “why like?” The lines between the sundry joy-like feelings remain squishy for me. But then, IFL is a designer, not a researcher in psychology, and it would be wrong to hold her to a requirement that she explain everything that goes on in our tiny minds.

In short, (yeah, I know, too late), Ingrid Fetell Lee has done an amazing job of explaining the impact of design on our lives, while offering a wide array of potential correctives. In doing so, she has accomplished that major victory of combining the imparting of information with delivering that intel in a manner that is engaging, entertaining, energetic and fun. Your brain may explode with all the possibilities on display in this book, but I expect I am not alone in reporting that Joyful is a thing of beauty, a classic of its kind, and will, I expect, be a joy forever.
Wonders never cease, as long as we are willing to look for them.

Review posted – September 7, 2018

Publication date – September 4, 2018

=============================EXTRA STUFF

Links to the author’s personal, Twitter, Instragram, and FB pages

The author’s TED Talk, Where Joy Hides and How To Find It

Some of the People (mostly designers) mentioned in the book (there are more, really)
-----Ruth Lande Shuman - founder of the non-profit Publicolor, which offers a group of design-based programs aimed at helping high-risk students in their education.
-----Ellen Bennett, while working as a line cook, decided to upgrade the aprons that kitchen staff wear, so designed a line of more interesting apparel and got her business started
-----Shusaku Arakawa and Madeline Gins started The Reversible Destiny Foundation to design and promote “procedural architecture,” claiming that certain sorts of living spaces could reverse human aging. Color me skeptical, but their work is worth checking out.
-----Dorothy Draper (no relation to Don) is noted in Joyful for her attention to texture, vibrancy, and richness of interior environment, particularly in the resort hotel The Greenbrier in West Virginia
-----Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid, Russian emigres, devised a test to determine a universally favored painting. Turns out their “Most Wanted” project found its way into Darwinian Aesthetics
-----British geographer Jay Appleton devised the “prospect-refuge theory” of human aesthetics.
-----Landscape architect James Corner designed the High-Line park in Manhattan
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-----Summer Rayne Oakes works in ecologically-minded design
-----Piet Oudolf is a world renown expert in horticultural design
-----George Van Tassel’s Integratron Dome has a mind-bowing origin story, and peculiar qualities that may be out of this world. Of all the links provided here, this one may be the most fun. You might also want to check this site, and this video and its sequel.

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----- The Quilts of Gees Bend
-----Architect and designer Gaetano Pesce is the creator of bubble housing, what he calls habitologue.
-----Leanne Prain, Yarn bomber extraordinaire
-----Gavin Pretor-Pinney is the founder of The Cloud Appreciation Society
-----Psych professors Dacher Keltner and Jonathan Haidt write about awe, a moral, spiritual, and aesthetic emotion
-----Conceptual artist Olafur Eliasson delights in the inexplicable

Music
-----from Ludwig Van - Ode to Joy, via Lenny B
-----Joy to the World - Three Dog Night
-----You Bring Me Joy - Anita Baker
-----Joy to the World - The MT Choir

My editor was worn out from all the joy
IMG_0792
Profile Image for Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader.
2,294 reviews31.4k followers
September 2, 2018
4 positive stars to Joyful! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

From time-to-time, I need to hit the reset button on life and have a little refresh. I find self-reflective books focused on positivity tend to do the trick, and I like to share these types of reads occasionally in case they uplift someone else, too. I was invited to read Joyful by Little, Brown, and it publishes on September 4, 2018. I’m excited to share some of my thoughts with you!

My Thoughts:

There is no dearth of books out there teaching us that positivity comes from within, and that we need to work on ourselves first in order to feel happy. But what if you could find joy from your external surroundings, too, and how do these two work hand-in-hand? It completely makes sense that a cozy reading spot would bring us joy, right? Even just looking at it? And what about a wonderful sunset, or an amazing view of the mountains?

The author, Ingrid Fetell Lee, is a designer offering a unique perspective on joy. Using research from psychology and neuroscience, she explores how various settings can promote different types of feelings (e.g., competitiveness, comfort, acceptance, sharing). These are interesting ideas and gave me much to think about.

Overall, I appreciated Fetell Lee’s theories, and I found the book user-friendly and invitingly-written. The best thing she offers- most aspects of joy can be found in the simple and easy. It’s not far out of reach, and we can obtain it. That message is simple but always empowering. I think this book would be remarkable for anyone to read, but especially employers, as they could set up workplaces for success via joyful employees.

Thank you to Little, Brown for the complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.

My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
Profile Image for Lacey.
196 reviews3 followers
March 20, 2019
I expected this book to be about finding joy in ordinary things as the extended title suggests. There was VERY little about ordinary things. Instead this book was a litany of the author’s trips to far flung places to see unique, once in a lifetime things. I’m pretty sure anyone can find joy in the northern lights or the cherry blossoms in Japan, but those are NOT ordinary things.

The chapter on play was my favorite, but probably because she quotes Dr. Stuart Brown’s book called Play so much. I loved that book. This one, not so much. I am joyful that it is over.
Profile Image for Heidi The Reader.
1,395 reviews1,525 followers
August 14, 2019
Ingrid Fetell Lee shares how to bring more joy into your life through the appreciation of ordinary things. Using tools like color selection, feng shui, gardening and room design, you can utilize your environment to foster an inner sense of joy and well being.

I think anything that increases joy and appreciation in my life is a good thing. I found it interesting almost every other book I've read on this subject focuses on the inner aspects of joy, the ones that won't fade. But Lee convinced me there is something to appreciate and cultivate in the outer world as well. We may all be spiritual beings but we're living very physical lives.

I knew little to nothing about interior design or some of the more troubling aspects of minimalism. But I do like to move through spaces that feel warm and lived in.

I can see the appeal of simplifying a space down to just a few items, but I wouldn't want to stay there very long. Lee helped me understand some of my intuitive feelings about minimalism and why maximalism has the opposite effect, at least on me.

Lee also talks about the joy one can find in quirkiness versus convention. The caveat being that you have to be in a space or group of people who allow such things to exist rather than quashing them at the start. Different colors, unexpected materials, strangely-shaped furniture — if introduced to your every day environment can bring joy and a sense of relief from staid normalcy.

This book really got me thinking about what joy I take in my surroundings and why or why not. Recommended for readers interested in interior design, gardening, or those looking for small ways in which to introduce a little more joy into their every day lives.
Profile Image for Katherine Center.
Author 18 books17.8k followers
September 27, 2018
GET THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!! Loved, loved, loved it. So much wisdom here about how to bring joy into your life. This is one of those non-fiction reads that I will re-read over and over to try to absorb its wisdom. SO grateful I found this book. RUN to grab a copy!
Profile Image for Caroline .
446 reviews623 followers
May 27, 2021

We all feel joy, but do we know why, exactly, certain things bring joy? Ingrid Fetell Lee makes this intangible feeling tangible in Joyful. Joy is everywhere, and in many things we take for granted. It’s in physical view and arrangement, shape and color, places and experiences. Identifying these is fascinating enough, but then Lee presents the science (often rooted in primal, evolutionary preferences), to round out and deepen what on the surface can seem like a pseudo-psychological, lightweight topic.

Reading this is like getting a new set of eyes, forcing readers to see everything with the kind of wonder they left behind in childhood. Lee drives home the point that humans need joy for life to feel fully meaningful. She encourages readers to esteem joyful objects (expensive or inexpensive), moments (eventful or quiet), and environments (all kinds) for their sheer pleasure. Her appropriately sunny personality comes across strongly to make for an engaging read, and she chose unusual, truly intriguing things to highlight.

The book focuses a lot on physically joyful things and their close connection to mental health, but other chapters examine an ephemeral brand of joy. The chapter titled “Renewal” contains a memorable passage about our “unjoyful” linear perception of time:
It’s not that linear time is bad. Our ability to learn from our mistakes, grow, and innovate derives from our belief that time has a forward thrust and that we can build on history to create a better future. The problem is that an overemphasis on linear time tends to magnify the pain we feel when joy ebbs. If we view the future as a blank, uncertain space, then it’s hard to trust that joy will return once it has gone. Each downswing of joy feels like a regression, each nadir like stagnation. But if instead we can rely on the repetition of certain delights at regular intervals, then the wavelike quality of joy becomes more present in our lives. Cycles create symmetry between past and future that reminds us joy will come back again.
Joyful is a little hard to categorize. It isn’t a self-help or interior-design book; neither is it a stunt memoir like This Is Where You Belong: The Art and Science of Loving the Place You Live and The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun, whose upbeat authors also stand back and evaluate their environments with the objective remove of a curious sociologist. But Joyful has characteristics of these sub-genres, making it helpful in a few ways and attractive to a wide audience. Fittingly titled and a joyful object itself, the book stands apart as an uplifting counterbalance to the many pessimistic and serious nonfictions overwhelming the genre. Readers would have to work hard to dislike it.
Profile Image for K.J. Charles.
Author 63 books9,743 followers
Read
December 7, 2021
I can imagine this being a really fascinating TED talk but as a full length book the content was stretched very thin indeed.
Profile Image for Cheryl.
10.5k reviews448 followers
May 30, 2019
I like the sketches. And what the author says makes sense. But imo it's not a great book. It's meant to be a sort of counterpoint to minimalism, but m. is an easy straw man. It's meant to be a serious book, but Lee is neither a psychologist nor an anthropologist, and some of what she claims she actually has misunderstood, misreported, or supplanted. She doesn't think like a scientist, either, mixing up cause & effect, or pointing to one cause among many as if the others don't matter.

Otoh, I do think she's mostly right. I mean, yes, of course most people are healthier, in body & mind & spirit, if they spend time out-of-doors. For example.

I'm thinking it would make a great coffee table book with more photos of the wild gardens, the confetti, the Bioscleave house (which btw *does* have furniture, just not in the main living room).

As applies to me, well, it means I still have to get rid of more things I don't "need" and do a better job of hiding the uglier tools, pantry items, etc, so I have room for plants and won't get over-stimulated by layers of happy colors. It's hard to be a renter sometimes. But we'll be moving again in a few years, when my youngest graduates from the university in this town, so we'll have another opportunity.

I'm not done yet... we'll see what I think at the end....
-----------
Ok done. Not a bad book, and there is a 'joyful toolkit' at the end to make it more practically useful. But still, the idea is pretty self-evident. A gray boxy office needs a plant, preferably a flowering one. Farmer's markets will help us stay in touch with the cycle of seasons. Duh.

Some bookdarts (info. new-to-me or worth special note):

..Choose lightbulbs with a higher CRI, color rendering index, closer to 100.

..When we snack, are our tummies hungry, or are we just hungry for a pop of stimulation, a snack of joy? Maybe the advice to go for a walk is good advice not just because the fresh air and exercise will help, but also because seeing more alive things/ beings outside helps. If you want to take a water break, drop some lemon juice in the water. Or do something entirely different, like color a page in that adult coloring book you bought last year but never finished. ;)

..The author's write up of the Gee's Bend quilts makes me appreciate them more. They're rhythmic, and organic; they make the eye dance as it explores them.

..Lots of artists and designers are named. Atm, I'm most intrigued by Grace Knowlton's spheres. And I haven't yet looked up Olafur Eliasson but his sculpture (?) sounds interesting.....

..Stuart Brown says, "The opposite of play is not work, it's depression."

..Author says, "We are living at a moment when technology is redefining our world at an unprecedented rate, creating more opportunities to be dazzled but with a greater risk of fatigue. ... Technology is the most valuable when it reminds us of the boundaries of our existence...."

(Which reminds me of one potential problem I suspect those readers who embrace these joyful design suggestions might have... if they saturate their entire environment, or even key components, especially with colors and polka-dots etc. that are 'gaudy,' they may very well tire of them and not find them joyful anymore. A teenager outgrows her furry neon crowded bedroom even without pressure to develop a more classic sense of taste. Adults should avoid cheap fast fashion in favor of quality pieces that will last... that have a twist that makes them smile... for example a perfect charcoal blazer with a coral liner....)

..Next time you see one of those inflatable tall tube 'men' dancing to advertise a car sale or whatever, note the movement. And go home and try to dance like that. The story behind their design is fascinating.

..And ah sakura. I have an LED tree, sold as yard art but used as floor lamp, that I've had long enough it might be not giving me quite as much joy as it did... maybe I can make lots of little pink fabric or paper flower shapes and wire them to it.

Good book, could have been much better, recommended from the library if you're interested.
Profile Image for Bkwmlee.
427 reviews336 followers
December 13, 2021


Full disclosure: self-help books aren’t usually my cup of tea. Not that there is anything wrong with self-help books, it’s just that I usually don’t get much out of these types of books, for one, and two, non-fiction books of any kind generally take me much longer to read, so I prefer not to spend precious reading time on them when I could use that time to instead choose something from my mile-high, teetering TBR stack. Given this context, I very likely would not have picked up Ingrid Fetell Lee’s Joyful on my own if it hadn’t been chosen as a monthly read for one of my book clubs. While the subject matter (the aesthetics of joy and how to find it in our surroundings) is one that I’m definitely interested in reading about (which usually also plays a huge role in whether I choose to read a non-fiction book or not), I worried about the timing and the impact to my already tightly-packed reading schedule.

Now that I’ve finished, I’m actually glad I decided to pick this one up, as I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. I think this was due to the fact that I didn’t approach this book from a “self-help” perspective in terms of how I could apply the author’s advice to bring more joy into my own life, but rather, I went into it from the perspective of a “fascinating learning experience” about the aesthetics of joy and examples of how each element manifests itself in the real world. Prior to this, I had never read a book that broke down the elements of joy in such detail and I definitely learned a lot, even though some of the examples that the author provided didn’t have much practical application for me personally. My favorite chapter was the one about “play”, probably because I could relate most to what was described in there, but I also liked the later chapters where the author brought all the concepts together and showed us how to recognize the different aesthetics in a single environment.

Another aspect I liked about this book was the writing, which flowed seamlessly and, perhaps most importantly, was accessible. For me, the way a non-fiction book is written has a huge impact on whether that particular book will be a “hit” or a “miss” for me (even if he subject matter is one that I’m interested in). What I appreciated about Joyful is that it didn’t feel overly scientific when I was reading it, even though some parts of it did cite statistics and results of scientific research. While the book did take me longer to read than usual, tit wasn’t because the concepts were hard to understand or anything — rather, I tend to take longer to read non-fiction books overall because of my own obsession with absorbing every single detail so as to make it worth my while, which of course requires additional focus and concentration on my part.

I’m definitely glad I read this one and would definitely recommend it, especially to those who like reading non-fiction. While each person’s reaction to the concepts that Ingrid Fetell Lee presents here will undoubtedly vary (especially depending on whether you’ve read other works on the same subject in the past or not), I liked this one more than some of the other “self-help” books I’ve read. Also, given the year I’ve had, I feel it’s quite appropriate that I got the chance to incorporate a book about joy into my reading journey, regardless of whether the concepts covered in the book “helped” me or not. A worthwhile read overall!
Profile Image for Connie G.
1,812 reviews606 followers
January 17, 2019
Designer Ingrid Fetell Lee shows how our physical surroundings can be modified to make us feel more joyful. She has found ten aesthetics of joy: Energy, Abundance, Freedom, Harmony, Play, Surprise, Transcendence, Magic, Celebration, and Renewal. She often uses psychological studies to back up her observations. For example, Energy includes vibrant color and light. Studies have shown that school children learned more when their drab tan schoolrooms were painted bright, cheerful colors.

Play includes circles, spheres, and bubbly forms. Curved surfaces give a room a warmer feel than rectangular shapes. Freedom deals with nature and open space. We can bring nature into our homes with plants. Urban areas can create public green spaces which improve the quality of life, reducing violence.

Lee gives many examples for each of her ten aesthetics of joy. Some of them involve industrial or public places. Other suggestions are ideas we can use at home or in planning vacations. For Celebration, she discusses how dancing and music connect people. She also mentions large shiny helium balloons which I love, and confetti which I personally would avoid since I wouldn't feel joyful cleaning it up.

While not everyone can afford to travel to Ireland, as the author did, to experience the green spring renewal, most of us can visit a beautiful park near home to enjoy nature. Almost everyone could find something in this book that will awaken their senses and put a smile on their face. It's a good reminder to take some time to brighten our day with a colorful scarf (Energy), see the cherry blossoms this spring (Renewal), check out the view from a Ferris wheel or fire tower (Transcendence), and enjoy the fireflies in summer (Magic).
Profile Image for Traci Thomas.
661 reviews11.6k followers
December 6, 2021
I love joy. It’s my favorite word. This book took an interesting look at finding joy and physically adding it to your life, weather it be more color or sparkle or curves. The author gives us 10 aesthetics of joy (energy, play, magic, etc.) and walks us through each. It also talked about the history and evolution of joy. Why certain. Things make us joyful. It’s a smart book. It went on a little long in sections.
Profile Image for Marina.
396 reviews33 followers
August 12, 2018
‘Snowdrops and daffodils, butterflies and bees…’
It seems that Dana was onto something when she sang these words in the 1970 Eurovision Song Contest.
In ‘Joyful’ Ingrid Fetell Lee looks at how certain things – like rainbows, polka dots and round objects – can cross demographic groups and bring joy. It’s clear that Lee has spent many hours researching this subject. She discusses many people – designers, architects etc who have incorporated joy into their work – there are no photos, so it’s best to keep Google available if you want to see what she’s writing about. She includes many personal stories of herself (and frequent mentions of her husband, Albert) as she travels far and wide experiencing joy. She really is thorough.
I loved so much about this book but I did find it all too much in one go. Maybe I should have paced myself more. I suspect there’s something of the dark in my nature because I started to find the joyfulness a bit cloying at times.
In her introduction, Lee tells of a woman who found that buying cut flowers lifted her mood for days, yet she restricted herself to buying them for special occasions. Lee notes that if she were to buy them weekly, they’d cost far less than her therapy sessions. Good point!
A few days ago, my son and his friend were sneaking bright balloons out of a restaurant display. The other boy’s mum expressed surprise that they still got so excited by balloons at the age of eleven…so I told her about this book. It may not be the easiest book to read, but it really is worth talking about.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC.
Profile Image for Elinor Howard.
3 reviews4 followers
July 4, 2019
This book was definitely not my cup of tea. Every chapter seemed to lull on as she discusses her far off travels and her privileged life to find joy. I found myself constantly having to look up all these place to get a good idea of what they look like because her description was far from clear. Honestly, couldn’t make it to the end because it was so dry and boring. I thought it would be more about finding joy and less about traveling the world to see colorful buildings.... what a drag.
Profile Image for Sophia Buckley.
100 reviews
August 2, 2019
I can save you some time. Bright colors, balloons, bubbles, & rainbows bring joy.
Profile Image for Erin.
190 reviews32 followers
October 26, 2018
This was a big giant waste of time. I know flowers and curves bring joy, tell me something I don’t know. This felt so pretentious and dumb after reading Sue Klebold’s haunting memoir. Don’t waste your time or money. Just go buy flowers
Profile Image for Steven.
162 reviews25 followers
Read
November 30, 2018
I’m not going to rate this book, I abandoned it after three tries around chapter two, right after the 5-7 pages describing the energies of colour and its effect on people.

I’m simply not the audience for this book and can’t appreciate the obvious time and energy the author invested in this subject. It has a ton of research in it and I can see designers finding a lot of value in this book.

For my purposes, the summary table at the end was enough to give me what I came for.
Profile Image for Katie.
285 reviews10.4k followers
January 24, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫(4.5/5, Self Help?)

Cracking open this book was the perfect way to start the year.

I picked this up because when asked on NYE what word I want to describe 2022 when I look back in a year, I responded with “joyful”. Everyone else in my family laughed because -duh!- who doesn’t want a more joyful life? But, I decided if I can use that word to guide my year, I would be doing alright.

This book is all about ordinary things creating extrodianary happiness 🌈

It’s my favorite “self help” book simply because it was a delight to read and left me happy & hopeful.

The quotes that Ingrid compiles alone from philosophers and artists on joy are enough of a reason to recommend this book.

This book had me daydreaming of things that brought me joy. Even on the coldest, dreariest day, there is a way to squeeze out some joy.

As Ingrid says, joy is what makes life worth living.

Oh! And this book ends with a joy workbook! I can’t wait to start my joy journal. If it sounds like I’ve been drinking the Kool-aid, it’s because I have.

Best paired with whatever indulgence you save for a special occasion - the nice champagne, a heaping slice of your favorite cake, the decadent lotion, a fat scoop of ice cream.

Let’s make 2022 our most joyful year yet 🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈

xx
Profile Image for Tara O'sullivan.
177 reviews1 follower
August 13, 2018
In this warmly written book, the author explores the idea of joy - what it means to us as humans, and how and why it can be brought into our lives. The good news is that the answer seems to be that joy can be found in small, simple things. She explores the effects of different colours, shapes and experiences on our minds, and how joy can be found in the new and the familiar, in comfort and adventure.

It's an uplifting little book that can help you to take a look around and take pleasure in the simple things, but there is also so really interesting science exploring the why as well as the what.
Profile Image for Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance.
6,009 reviews301 followers
March 8, 2023
First reading:
Designer Ingrid Fetell Lee looks closely at the aesthetics of joy.

She defines these as:
(1) energy: vibrant color and light;
(2) abundance: variety, lushness, multiplicity;
(3) freedom: nature, open space, wildness;
(4) harmony: balance, symmetry, flow;
(5) play: circles, spheres, bubbly forms;
(6) surprise: contrast and whimsey;
(7) transcendence: elevation and lightness;
(8) magic: invisible forms and illusions;
(9) celebration: synchrony, sparkly and bursting shapes; and
(10) renewal: blossoming, expansion, curves.

Lee encourages us to keep a Joy Journal, tracking each day the specifics of the things that bring us joy.

This book should be a help to those of us who are always interested in adding more joy to our lives.

Second reading:
"Too often, we move through the physical world as if it were a stage set, a mute backdrop for our daily activities. Yet in reality it is alive with opportunities for inspiration, wonder and joy. I hope this book empowers you to see more of these opportunities in the world around you and to seize them."
Profile Image for Kelly.
488 reviews
April 23, 2019
By the end, I found this book a bit dry and slow, and it wasn't as well-researched or well-written as other psychology/sociology books I've read recently, but overall, secular worldview and evolutionary theory notwithstanding, still an interesting study on the effect of physical environment on our emotions, organized around ten "aesthetics of joy" (energy, abundance, freedom, harmony, play, surprise, transcendence, magic, celebration, renewal).

I may not agree with the author's definition of joy, but I may just follow her suggestion and go buy some flowers even if it seems frivolous—because it's impossible to deny that there are certain "tangible qualities of the world around us" that have the potential to make us smile (like puppies or confetti), and sometimes a small experience or moment of happiness, joy, can brighten our day and refresh our soul.
Profile Image for Amanda Robinson.
16 reviews9 followers
January 12, 2021
I really liked the idea of this book - using ordinary things/spaces in your home and environment to increase your daily joy. Unfortunately, I didn't really like the way the author chose to present these ideas - using one-off examples from lavish, unique vacation spots that "ordinary" people could never experience.

Prior to finishing the book, I headed to the "Aesthetics of Joy" website and found great resources for finding or creating joy in your daily routine and honestly, I found these resources to be far more useful than the book itself.

I feel terrible to be giving this such a low rating, because I love everything the Aesthetics of Joy website and Joyspotting Facebook group offer, but the book just didn't do it for me.
Profile Image for Carol (Reading Ladies).
732 reviews167 followers
October 22, 2021
Does the outer world of design affect our inner joy? Do our outward surroundings promote joy? The author explores the principles of psychology, visual and sensory input, and design to discuss how they might promote personal joy. Ten aesthetics that affect joy are addressed in depth and she reveals “a distinct connection between the feeling of joy and the tangible qualities of the world around us”: Energy, Abundance, Freedom, Harmony, Play, Surprise, Transcendence, Magic, Celebration, and Renewal. In addition, the author provides sample worksheets for making our own spaces more joyful.

Although I’m not a formal artist, I’ve always loved thinking about design principles and I strongly believe that creating a welcoming and warm environment is as important as the menu when we consider hospitality. However, I hadn’t seriously considered how aesthetics might affect my personal joy quotient.

I am intrigued by the author’s comprehensive and thoughtful explanation and application of each aesthetic:

Energy: vibrant color (energy made visible) and light (colors power supply)

Abundance: lushness, multiplicity (ex: confetti), and variety

Freedom: nature (water, blue sky, trees, gardens), wildness, and open space (most commonly enjoyed paintings are landscapes)

Harmony: patterns, beat (in music), harmony begets harmony

Play: circles, spheres, and bubbly forms

Surprise: contrast and whimsy

Transcendence: elevation and lightness, awe

Magic: invisible forces, illusions, enchantment, mystery, curiosity, iridescence

Celebration: synchrony, sparkle, and bursting shapes, string lights, glitter, contrast of light and dark (fireworks, candlelight, fireplaces)

Renewal: blossoming, expansion, and curves, anticipation

* It is thrilling to think about the many elements in the author’s descriptions that I already incorporate into my home decor and party planning that do bring me joy. It’s nice to recognize and embrace these elements not just as my personal preferences but as overall important elements of design. My intuition in creating my environment is justified, and I’m challenged to deliberately incorporate more elements!
* I think two excellent companion reads to Joyful might be The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living and The Happiness Project.
* I was most doubtful about the aesthetic of “magic” and was prepared to skip over the power or magic of stones and gems; however, I was surprised by how she pivoted to a discussion of “enchantment” and “charm” as other concepts for magic.
* For me, spirituality plays an important part in the source and amount of joy in my life and the author does not address spirituality (which she might have included in the transcendence chapter).

Overall, Joyful is an enjoyable and inspiring read which I recommend for readers who enjoy design and concepts of well being.

For more reviews visit my blog www.readingladies.com where this review was first published.
Profile Image for Natalie.
199 reviews
September 23, 2021
This is an information-packed book about the science of joy. Referencing research-based studies and information, the author posits that there are physical qualities or triggers in our environment that seem to universally elicit feelings of joy. She identifies ten aesthetics of joy
which include energy, abundance, freedom, harmony, play, surprise, transcendence, magic, celebration, and renewal. She then breaks each of these categories down into tangible, physical aspects that seem to universally elicit feelings of joy (for example, bright colors and a natural attraction to light both represent energy).

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but due to the density of the information, it's one I skimmed through, rather than read cover to cover.
Profile Image for Bianca.
Author 1 book97 followers
April 24, 2020
I wanted to enjoy this much more than I did. I think the structure had a lot to do with it. I would have loved to see a lot more pictures and colours. All the ideas were really cool but I found myself wandering off a lot whenever I picked up this book and I only managed small chunks at a time.

Nevertheless, there are many stories that resonated me and made me want to incorporate more joy into my everyday life and experiences. Life is too short otherwise.
Profile Image for Iggy.
6 reviews
October 8, 2018
When did you last feel joy?

First off, I have never thought of picking up a book like this before. If it wasn't for @Tabi this book would have not been touched. So! Thank you for the recommendation + buddy read!! xD

I had some doubts, some concerns with reading this. So before, diving into the book, I sat down and watched Ingrid Fetell Lee's Ted talks. The way she spoke, her ideas and philosophy...the feeling of self-conscience was replaced with curiosity and hopefulness. I hoped that way of expression would carry out in writing. And it did.

Lee has categorised the ways we feel joy and the power that each has that transforms our day, and influences our lives. Her examples of school classrooms made me reflect on my experience in school and maybe if we had a quirky orange and neon yellow in the walls, I could've passed maths!

First, second and last chapters I enjoyed tremendously. From the writing and the exploration of ideas, with a dash of scientific research. However sometimes during the middle there was some repetition of examples, cliches....

I, myself, can sometimes be pessimistic, a downer and I have struggled with issues that haven't allowed me to fully embrace contentment in life. But after reading this book, I know for a fact (and it has been scientifically proven) that the possibility of joy is limitless. You just have to allow yourself see, hear, smell and FEEL it! The world wasn't created for loneliness, sadness or isolation (though sometimes it feels that way). If it was we wouldn't have lush jungles, blue oceans and magnificent creatures that roam.

So thank you Lee and Tabi for giving me the opportunity to read this and help myself <3

Joy is what makes life worth living...And yet for some reason, we have decided that it is superfluous - the icing on the cake, rather than an integral part of the cake itself
Profile Image for Meghan.
2,175 reviews
July 11, 2018
I received this book as an advanced reader's copy and we are always on the search for books that express positive energy. Everyone needs positive energy most times and we are a library that lives to provide these kind of resources that help people live their best life possible. We receive a donation once a year and the donor specifically requests us to purchase books such as this because of the power they can do for the community and I have seen some fantastic results in our collection because of this. A wonderful book that we are giving 5 stars!
Profile Image for Zack Plauche.
8 reviews
November 9, 2019
Her arguments towards minimalism were so bad.

She literally pointed out that one of the values of minimalism was to be less wasteful and good for the environment... then argued against that.

Not only was it a really useless book, but she also just argued why you should have a "maximalist" mindset when it comes to room design and design your rooms, garden, architecture, etc. like a kindergarten.

Skip it.
Profile Image for Vicky.
52 reviews
July 5, 2019
An unabashed applause to materialism - 'Minimalism doesn't bring you joy, maximalism does, and look at those flamboyant flashy decors, they bring you joy don't they'
Mmmm no they don't. And it's not right to try to tell people what brings them joy and what doesn't. I know what brings me joy but I won't force it upon others.
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