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September 30, 2025 10 mins

In this episode of Originate Now, host Jessica Higgins Chapman explores the transformative power of curating joy as a daily practice — and how it directly fuels creativity, focus, and your overall well-being.

Too often, joy is treated as an afterthought, a reward for finishing the work. But we're diving into joy being the resource that makes the work possible. Drawing from neuroscience, psychology, faith, and her own creative experience, Jess shares why joy is fuel for your projects, your perspective, and your life.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

  • Why joy and happiness aren’t the same — and why that matters for creativity.
  • The science of joy: dopamine, flow states, and the broaden-and-build theory.
  • Five ways to intentionally curate joy in your daily life and work.
  • How joy helps reduce resistance, expand possibility, and sustain long-term creativity.
  • A practical “Joy Menu” exercise to spark energy and fresh ideas this week.

Featured Quotes:

  • Mary Oliver: “Joy is not made to be a crumb,” from her poem Don't Hesitate from her book Devotions.
  • Jessica Higgins Chapman: “Your joy is a garden. Cultivate it. What you nourish, water, and tend to becomes your harvest," from her book The Magic that is Life.

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