“Joy isn't about the big splashy moments”

An Interview with Andrea Scher

I first met Andrea Scher though the posts on her blog, Superhero Journal. She was one of the early people in the online space talking about creativity and making a life that was full of color and wonder and whimsy. I was fascinated. Who was the person behind these delightful entries?

It turns out that Andrea lived across the San Francisco Bay from me, and we knew a few people in common. Eventually we met in person and I verified what I already knew from her writing: Andrea is full of creativity and pretty much made of magic.

This was before people were talking much about multi-hyphenates—the idea that you can have many types of creative outlets—but Andrea is absolutely one. She is a photographer, writer, art-maker, a coach and teacher (she leads workshops in gorgeous places), a podcast host, founder of Mondo Beyondo, and full of so many inventive ideas and beautiful colors. On top of all that, she’s not a fluffy person—Andrea is grounded and likes to go deep.

I’ve loved watching Andrea’s work and life evolve over the years, and I was delighted when she put so much of her magic into a book. Wonder Seeker: 52 Ways to Wake Up Your Creativity and Find Your Joy is a distillation of her work and approach to life. It is just as bright and beautiful and full of color and inventiveness as she is. When I first got my copy, I turned the pages with the biggest smile on my face. The photos, the words, it was all so delightful.

The book can be used in many ways—read cover to cover, or you can choose one activity a week so it lasts a full year, or just dip into it at will when you need a bit of inspiration. It’s a convenient size, with curved corners, and feels perfect to stick in a bag to come along on adventures. Whenever life starts feeling blah, this is where I want to turn for a shot of inspiration.

It could be great fun to work through the book with a buddy as well—a friend, your sweetie (wonder dates!), or with kids—your own, or someone else’s (kids instinctively understand wonder). The activities are fun ways to look at life from a different vantage point—some artistic, some inventive, some about being a little bit braver and making connections. When I open the pages I am struck by all the colors and textures of the world, how it is more beautiful than we realize.

As Andrea writes: “I define a Wonder Seeker as someone who actively looks for things that delight them. A Wonder Seeker is curious and kind, vibrant and open-hearted. A Wonder Seeker doesn’t step over what’s hard, only ‘look on the bright side,’ or put on a happy face to avoid feeling what’s painful. A Wonder Seeker knows that by turning toward what’s difficult, by working with what’s true (even when it’s hard), we become more brave and resilient.”

“The best part? We can train ourselves to be Wonder Seekers. We can learn to step out of our ordinary lives—even for just a moment or two each day—to witness the everyday magic. The key is where we put our attention.”

I was so pleased when Andrea agreed to join us here for some questions. If you’ve followed her work, you know how delightful she is. If this is a first introduction, I think you’re in for a treat.

ANDREA SCHER: THE ENJOY INTERVIEW

What does joy mean to you?

I think a lot about joy. What it means. Is it happiness? Is it pleasure? Is it something more sustaining and quiet? I also think a lot about what primes us to experience it. How do we make ourselves available for joy to arise? 

For me, joy isn't so much the big splashy moments, but the quieter, deeper ones. It's the quiet moment when my teenage son doesn't rush to get out of the car when we arrive home, but wants to continue our conversation after the engine has turned off. It's the feeling when I arrive at the dog park near my house and my neighbors' dogs rush towards me, tails wagging to greet me with kisses. It's seeing the ocean. It's making art with a friend, listening to great music. It's the light at the magic hour when I have my camera in hand and the world looks brand new.

You could replace any of these examples of joy as moments of wonder as well. They are almost interchangeable in my mind. They are glimmers of what makes life sacred—worth living. They fill me with a reverence for the world and my place in it.

For me, joy is also wellbeing. It's a regulated nervous system. It's enough food in the cupboards and safety in our lives to allow us access to something more than mere survival mode. There have been times in my life when I have felt joyless... which is to say, so anxious and afraid that I had very little access to joy. This was both situational and physiological. No matter how much outward pleasure I had access to (my children, nature, great clients, friends) my nervous system was in a constant state of fight/flight. I needed to heal my nervous system first. Only then was I able to feel joy arise in my being more of the time.

What do you like to do to access joy, delight, or wonder?

I love to go to the dog park (even though I don't have a dog!). I call it the happiest place on earth. I love watching these joyful creatures love and play unabashedly. It's good medicine for me. They show me something about how I want to be in the world. 

Being immersed in beauty (whether that's a redwood forest, a great art gallery or a dance performance) is a superhighway to wonder for me. I can literally feel my heart swell in my chest. The delight is visceral and full-bodied.

Music is also a great way to experience awe and wonder. Isn't it amazing how a great song gives us goosebumps? Or makes us cry? Most recently, this song does this for me.

What is something you like to do with your family or friends to bring the magic?

Ha! I'm a total nerd about conversation cards and decks of questions. You know those decks that have great conversation prompts? I bring them along when I gather with girlfriends. Or at the dinner table with my kids. I have also been known to bring them on first dates! 

They are so helpful in getting the conversation to go deeper. With my kids, I often don't know what to ask them! How was your day? Who did you sit with at lunch? Gets really old. The cards give us permission to have new conversations.

What do you wish more people knew or understood about seeking wonder?

That it's not about the big, splashy things. It's not the Northern Lights and the Grand Canyon. It's about being present and awake enough to find delight and awe in the most ordinary things. And it is a practice. 

And since our brains have a strong negativity bias (inclining us to scan for danger) we need to train our brains to scan for delight. And we can! Creating a practice around scanning for the good, finding beauty and seeking wonder gives us so much more access to joy. 

A Final Word from Andrea:

“I want you to remember your curiosity and your wide-eyed delight. I want you to know that you are a creative creature who can experience the magic of the everyday world. On one level, it’s a shift in attention. And a practice (just like a seated meditation) where we continue to pull our focus back from the distractions, the noise, the chaotic swirl of our thoughts—back to the moment. To what is here. What there is to appreciate. What there is to delight in…”

“…being creative doesn’t mean you make art all the time, although you might. It means reaching for that well of creativity inside you and using it on behalf of your aliveness and joy. Ask yourself questions. Be willing to experiment. Step into the softer, brighter world of possibility and imagination and see what’s been waiting for you on the other side.”

—From Wonder Seeker, by Andrea Scher (Harper Design, 2021)

Thank you, Andrea!

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Book: Wonder Seeker: 52 Ways to Wake Up Your Creativity and Find Your Joy

**Author photo by In her Image Photography