J is for Joy

        (My A to Z Blog Challenge theme this year is Bittersweetness & Light, my new collection of hope-filled, joy-inducing fantasy and sci fi short stories, poems, and art.  Join me for excerpts of art, stories, and poetry, plus some of the background on why we urgently need joyful stories.  Also, be sure to check out my fellow A to Z bloggers at the Master List.)

        Today I’m sharing a rubber block print, “Find Joy & Share It.”  I made the originals of this piece as a special limited edition reward for some of my higher-level Kickstarter backers, and it also appears as an illustration in the book along with the Acknowledgements.  When I started thinking about what to make for these awesome backers, I wasn’t sure what to do that they would all like.  Then I reminded myself that I can’t possibly know what they all like, so all I can do is fall back on what I always try to do: share the things that bring me joy.  So the theme of the block turned into “these are a few of my favorite things.”

        Can you spot daffodils, a frog, a ladybug, and a tiny dragon?  Some of my favorite things that are only obliquely referenced are history and archaeology (perhaps represented by the castle), books (represented by words), and art (represented by the fact that this is, in fact, a piece of art).  Some of my favorite things that didn’t get included at all are dark chocolate, cheese, and other delicious foods; my family and friends; knick-knacks and little beautiful items both human-made and natural; or activities like teaching, going for walks, and playing tabletop games.

        Marketing Moral: Give my book as a gift.  If you know someone else who might just love it, why not share that love?  I may possibly be biased, but I think it makes a beautiful and thoughtful gift for anyone whose heart is in need of a little warming.  (And I wouldn’t complain if you bought copies by the dozen and bestowed them on everyone you know!)

        Proper Moral: Acknowledging joy is an act of fierce defiance.  Delighting in goodness is a wild and valiant rebellion against the forces that benefit when we are too cynical or discouraged to keep loving.  (More about that in my post A Desperate Little Exhortation About (Bitter)Sweetness and Light.)

        What are a few of your favorite things?

[Picture: Find Joy, rubber block print (2024) by AEGNydam from Bittersweetness & Light, 2025 (See NydamPrints.com).]