Eyes-Open Positivity
Psychological research evidence is increasingly strongly showing that positive emotions like joy contentment inspiration don't just feel good when we experience them, they also increase our resilience and improve our mental health. Scientists such as Barbara Fredrickson are finding that cultivating and embodying pleasant emotions can broaden our perceptual fields causing us to literally see more, take in more detail and to be more open and trusting of others. The positivity needs to be coming from a place of safety as surface level feelings don't expand us in the same way.
Sun Seeking (Hope)
Taken on a wintery day while looking through this cafe window at a standard lamp and houseplants I was dreaming of the warmth of summer sunlight on my face. Having a sense of direction, optimism and hope can all contribute to feeling happier. Our mindsets and life experiences might orientate us towards seeing the future more positively or negatively, but research shows us that we can take future focussed practical actions than can contribute to how happy we feel in the present. Researcher Gene Alarcon and colleagues in their paper 'Great Expectations' explain how the positive emotion of hope is related to optimism, but goes beyond simply feeling positive about the future by being more specific about our expectations and including thoughts and beliefs about how we might achieve these. A4 on Fuji Matt. Edition of 30 & 1 A/P |
Take Over (Joy)
When Sophie Howarth, author of Mindful Photography, invited us to take one photograph a day to celebrate joy and pleasure as part of her Mindful Photography Course run by the Photographer’s Gallery in 2022 I realised that I rarely did this - I photographed for curiosity, as metaphors for feelings, but not consciously for joy. A4 Photographic Print on Fuji Matt, edition of 30 & 1 A/P Take Over Joy was selected for publication in Issue 4 of WerkHaus Zine, Wild Things published by the WorkHorse Collective, (2023)
|