Quote by Maggie Nelson: “Joy is a practice.”

This short, powerful phrase suggests that joy is not merely a passive feeling that happens to us, but an active discipline requiring cultivation and effort. It implies that we can consciously engage in practices that foster happiness and contentment in our lives, making joy a choice.

The mid-2010s saw a rise in mindfulness practices and self-care discourse, with an emphasis on personal agency in cultivating well-being. This quote aligns with the growing popular and academic interest in emotional resilience and intentional happiness.

American writer whose genre-defying works include The Argonauts and Bluets, blending memoir, theory, and poetry to explore love, gender, queerness, and the body. She is a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship.