Worth a Thousand Smiles

Here’s a happiness hack for your Monday.

I had this picture, and every time I looked at it, it made me smile.

It is a picture of people I adore, doing a play I was super proud of, in a space that felt magical. I loved everything about this. I desaturated it a little and put my directing motto over the top. It made me smile every time I saw it. It reminded me of my work at its best. I remember thinking, “I wish I saw this picture a hundred times a day.”

I put it on my computer as my desktop background, but the wallpaper on my computer is nearly always covered with other things because I’m working.

I thought about printing it out and putting it on the fridge, but it would just become one more thing the kids would knock off.

Then I had the idea of getting a custom phone decal. After a little research online, I went to DecalGirl and designed it myself (that’s not an affiliate link, they aren’t paying me to say nice things.). They had templates that matched my phone, showing the places where there are sensors, where the camera goes, etc., so that I could adjust the placement perfectly. The quality of the printing and accuracy of the cut-outs was outstanding. I got a clear case for the phone, and now I do see that picture a hundred times a day. It’s a tiny thing, but it does make me feel happy every time I look at it, especially if I’m having a day when all the discouraging self-talk in my head is getting loud.

For Christmas, I had the idea of making one for my mom. I took a picture from the Harry Potter Christmas dinner she and Gary created for the kids last year. Petra and Silas helped me pick a quote to put on it and design the decal.

I think it’s probably the best Christmas present I gave anyone last year. And I hope it brings her a little spark of happiness in her day, too.

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