As an illustrator, designer, and artist, Mandy returned to drawing after a fairly long absence. What I’ve noticed about people who have a grasp on joy is that they often are actively making space to do the things they love in their lives. They take the time to listen to what their heart is saying to them, and they are open to the nudges that they get from the universe along the way.
In the last month, I’ve been talking a lot about this - and I’m calling “Practicing the vibration of joy.” In a nutshell, it means that joy is more than a simple choice, but it’s also a choice that you must take action on to really feel the benefits of the emotion of joy. Simply put, you’ve got to DO something joyful in order to then feel the emotion of joy, and so, I’ve been looking at ways that people have made an intentional point of actively following joy. Mandy Ford and her work really stood out for me, and so this week I’m re-sharing the interview with her (that originally aired in Season 2 as episode 97).
Link: http://jumpstartyourjoy.com/2017/08/inspiration-doodling-becoming-illustrator/
I started putting this all together after speaking to Fred LeBlanc, in episode 125. He made it a point to get curious about what was missing from his life, when he noticed that he was not feeling connected and joyful. He then made an active and purposeful choice to find his way back to joy. I see a ton of similarities in his approach and the way Mandy found her way back to drawing.
I love how Mandy has said yes to this inspiration, and following the many nudges she’s gotten from God and the universe along the way. As she says about that moment that she returned to drawing, “my soul knows something that it isn’t ready to tell me yet.” I know you’re going to be delighted and inspired by Mandy.
In this look back episode (which was originally episode 97), Mandy Ford and I talk about:
- how she loved collecting rocks as a child, along with Lisa Frank stickers and all things “Poochie”
- how working at a Earlham College (a Quaker seminary) has changed her life and shaped her drawing
- that her journey of taking a writing class brought her back to her love of drawing
- how she got a licensing deal just four months after she returned to drawing
- how she approaches the creative process
- her work with Illustrated Faith, creating scrapbooking kits
- her tips for Instagram and finding a community there
- the work she's most proud of to date (spoiler: it's being a mom to her twin boys)
- what harmony looks like for Mandy, in her life
- her thoughts on jump starting your joy - taking time to look up and notice the world around you, being kind, and giving freely to people
Resources
Mandy Ford's "Create Your Own Crazy Doodle" class on Skillshare
Jessica Swift's website (including the link to her Pattern Camp)