The Labour of Joy
Performance Photography
2020
The Labour of Joy is a series that explores the complex relationship we have with joy and the creation of joy within our everyday lives. The series utilizes photographs and text to present the various ways that we utilize our hands to make and engage in different acts; small, mundane, intimate, or communal that lead to joy.
Socially, joy is experienced as an action related to shared experiences. For example, a husband surprises his wife with flowers - he has brought her joy with this small gesture. Joy in this sense is something that isn’t cultivated by the wife, but instead by the actions of the husband. So, what does joy look like as an individual habit? Many believe joy is a natural process, one that hits you when you have that perfect moment, or when you indulge in special self-care. Moments like a bubble bath, a glass of wine, a good book, or a cup of tea on a rainy day. These moments can bring peace, a sense of calm, tranquility, and even happiness. But in reality, joy is a habit that is built through repetition, practice, and repeated engagement.
The cultivation of joy is messy, painful, and an arduous journey. The research for this project consists of taking pictures, reading, and writing about the cultivation of joy and the practice of building a habit of joy into the everyday. So what does it look like to build a habit of engaging in joy?
For me, I focused on my hands - the method and way in which I engage the most frequently as a martial artist. Images of washing dishes paired with an image of me striking a punching bag - both bring me pain, but that painful action can also lead to sustained moments of joy in complex ways.
Performance Photography
2020
The Labour of Joy is a series that explores the complex relationship we have with joy and the creation of joy within our everyday lives. The series utilizes photographs and text to present the various ways that we utilize our hands to make and engage in different acts; small, mundane, intimate, or communal that lead to joy.
Socially, joy is experienced as an action related to shared experiences. For example, a husband surprises his wife with flowers - he has brought her joy with this small gesture. Joy in this sense is something that isn’t cultivated by the wife, but instead by the actions of the husband. So, what does joy look like as an individual habit? Many believe joy is a natural process, one that hits you when you have that perfect moment, or when you indulge in special self-care. Moments like a bubble bath, a glass of wine, a good book, or a cup of tea on a rainy day. These moments can bring peace, a sense of calm, tranquility, and even happiness. But in reality, joy is a habit that is built through repetition, practice, and repeated engagement.
The cultivation of joy is messy, painful, and an arduous journey. The research for this project consists of taking pictures, reading, and writing about the cultivation of joy and the practice of building a habit of joy into the everyday. So what does it look like to build a habit of engaging in joy?
For me, I focused on my hands - the method and way in which I engage the most frequently as a martial artist. Images of washing dishes paired with an image of me striking a punching bag - both bring me pain, but that painful action can also lead to sustained moments of joy in complex ways.