cover
FEATURE
THE HOUSE THAT JOY BUILT
Holly Ringland $ 29.99
We are excited to be featuring the cover art from Holly Ringland ’ s new book The House That Joy Built on the cover of our Christmas catalogue . The House That Joy Built is about the transformative power of finding joy through creativity and offers a jump-start for anyone whose desire to create is flattened by fear . Fear of feeling vulnerable , of criticism and judgement from others , of not being good enough , of having ' bad ' ideas , of being ' too much '. This book is for everyone who has ever felt stuck creatively . It is for those yearning to write , and also for anyone who longs to create but doesn ' t know how to find a way into , or back to their imagination . We asked Holly to share with us a little bit about the book and herself .
Q& A
Q : Your new book ‘ The House That Joy Built ’ is all about finding joy through creativity . As humans , why do you think it ’ s so important for us to create ?
HR : As humans , we ’ re inherently creative . Whether we ’ re aware of it or not , our imaginations – our creativity – are part of our decision-making and actions every day : what we wear , make for dinner , the conversations we have , how we parent , how we love , what we think about , how we grieve , what we hope for and dream of , how we feel joy . If we deny our creativity – our humanness – we ' re essentially disconnecting ourselves from the rich inner world of imagination that is unique to each of us – full of everything that startles us , brings us wonder and joy , and fuels our resilience . When we create , we are connected to that inner world , and all the potential and possibilities that dwell there ; all the power that our ideas have to enrich our lives .
Q : You talk about ‘ imposter syndrome ’ in this book , which is something I ’ m sure most of us can relate to ! Now that you ’ re a bestselling author ( whose beautiful book ‘ The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart ’ has just been made into a TV series ) – is this a feeling you still grapple with ?
HR : Yes , absolutely . Not in the same ways as I did before I was first published in 2018 but still in ways where I experience intrusive thoughts that come from fear around my place as a writer . So , when it comes to feeling like an imposter in my creativity , or when I feel like I ’ m not really a writer , I ’ ve learned there ' s power in nurturing and practising my sense of belonging . I remind myself that no matter what stage of writing I ’ m at , I ’ m welcome . I ’ m not an uninvited guest . I ’ m not an imposter . My creativity is mine , and I ’ m allowed to create . As you are too . Practising belonging in my writing , to me , is choosing over and again , no matter where I am or who I ’ m with , to accompany myself , to stay with myself in my creativity , rather than abandoning myself , in any doubtful moment .
Q : As a writer , you ’ ve been able to build a career around your creativity . Aside from writing , what are some other creative activities or practices you enjoy ?
HR : I love to draw ( I ’ m an unskilled at it but I love to do it !), and to garden , make ephemeral art with things like shells , flowers , seed pods , decorate and potter about in my spaces , read , run , do yoga , be in nature and hang out cloudwatching with my dogs – all of these things feed my imagination .
Q : What would you like readers to take away from this book ?
HR : My wildest hopes for readers after they close the last page of The House That Joy Built is that they no longer feel alone in their fear or creative block , that their yearnings to create feel seen , and that they feel braver about creating what they love . Because their joy is the reason .
Q : Have you read anything lately that has made its way to your favourites list ?
HR : This Christmas break , I can ’ t wait to dive into the Jane Doe Chronicles by Jeremy Lachlan , which has been described as Narnia meets Indiana Jones . The series follows Jane Doe as she embarks on a thrilling , desperate quest to save her father from a world between worlds . Jane ' s compelling , big-hearted adventures are adored by Jeremy ’ s readers – I can ’ t wait to become one of them !
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