My name is Joy Sussman and I'm so happy you've arrived!
In a nutshell, JoyfullyGreen.com is a blog for anyone looking to live a simpler, greener, more mindful and creative life. It's also for anyone who really loves pretty pictures of nature and the world around us.
Although I started this online journey in July 2012 as an eco-blog, I quickly realized that the part of blogging which gave me the most joy (no pun intended) was finding the "perfect" picture to accompany my posts. I now teach several online courses in photography including:
How to Take Better Photos of Nature and the World Around You
The Art of Photography: How to Take Your Pictures to the Next Level
Beyond Auto Mode: How to Really Work Your DSLR Camera
Soul Focus: Finding Peace Through Photography
Soul Focus 2: Delving Deeper into Mindful Photography
Pocket Photography: Making Art with Your Phone
I have a beautiful book for sale, Created with Joy: Selected Works by Photography Students, Vol. 1. It features the work of twenty of my extremely talented photography students, and Vol. 2 is in the works right now! Click here for all the details on my book.
I still can't quite believe it, but I was one of seven honorees worldwide in the Photography category for BlogHer 2015 Voices of the Year. Here's the backstory on that: Nervous, Honored, Grateful!
Equally unbelievable but equally wonderful: I was an Honoree for the BlogHer 2016 Voices of the Year, for a post I'd written about my son. You can read more about that here: The Opposite of Crickets.
My photographs and written work have been published five times in national magazines. In Spring 2017, Artful Blogging magazine contacted me to write an article for them about my creative process. Here's the announcement about its publication: The Heart-Warming Thrill of Getting Published. Bella Grace magazine published a full-length article about my work in Fall 2017.
I've been fascinated with the magic of taking pictures--saving and savoring moments in time, the monumental and the teeny-tiny--for about four decades, ever since I was a little girl and received my first Kodak Instamatic camera for a Christmas present at the age of 7. Now I use a Canon EOS 5D mark iii and an iPhone 6s.
I've lived in the northeastern United States my whole life (Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey) and although I love traveling and exploring the world, I don't think I could ever leave behind this region which showcases all four seasons so fully and beautifully. It's my Home Sweet Home.
Before my senior year at Vassar College (where I majored in Art History), I was a photography counselor at Wesleyan University's Center for Creative Youth in Middletown, CT, where I helped instruct high school students in photography (including darkroom development--anybody remember those days?).
In my life before blogging, I was an advertising creative director and copywriter in NYC and Philadelphia--which is funny, because now I'm a big fan of non-consumerism and minimalism. I'm also a work-in-progress for unplugging and simplifying. (You'll find LOTS of posts around here on those topics!)
If I had to sum up this blog in one thought and one picture, it would be this:
If you feel that way, too, you can get my new blog posts delivered to you by subscribing via email or RSS reader: just click here.
You can also find me on Instagram, which is my favorite social media platform: @joy_sussman
My fine art photographs are for sale at society6.com/JoyfullyGreen.
To get to the main page of this blog with the most current post, just click here.
Please feel free to contact me via email at [email protected]. I'd love to hear from you! BUT... Please note: I do not accept any guest posts, sponsored links, guest-written links, related articles, or SEO/site redesign offers; you will receive an automated reply--or no reply at all--for those no-no's. JoyfullyGreen.com is an ad-free site out of respect for my readers' time. Thank you for respecting those rules and keeping this a joyful place. (So, who is free to contact me, then? Kind readers with questions or comments, amateur photographers and others interested in my e-courses, people inquiring about my photographs or writing, editors, publishers, and camera equipment companies. I'm all ears for you, lovelies!)
With so much gratitude,
Joy Sussman