Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness

by Ingrid Fetell Lee

Color pulls joy to the surface.

Why do some cultures reserve color only for celebratory moments, while others make it a part of the everyday?

While brightness is important, creating joyful, energizing light is more than just a matter of lumens. When I posed the question “What is joyful light?” to lighting designer Rick Shaver, he started by calling my attention to what it’s not. Describing an office he’d recently been to, he noted that the even rows of fluorescent lights made it feel like the place was covered by an “overcast sky.” Offices are designed for uniform lighting, so that there’s enough light to read wherever you sit. But that flat, even light creates a dull energy. According to Shaver, who has designed lighting schemata for the Getty Museum and countless private homes, “it’s those streaks of sunlight coming through” that create “a joyous environment.”

So Shaver’s advice is to look at the color rendering index (CRI) of a bulb. Incandescent bulbs have a rating of 100, a fact that fuels demand for them even though they have been banned by many countries. But newer LED bulbs have recently been developed that give off light as warm and vibrant as those old Edison bulbs. Choosing bulbs with a CRI close to 100 will keep you and your spaces looking bright and colorful.

Suddenly I understood why we feel free even in a tiny garden or greenhouse. Indoors, the thick, insulated walls and HVAC systems remove the gentle fluctuations of temperature, scent, air, and humidity that make being outdoors such a delight. Being in nature liberates our senses.

If we want more wildness in our lives, we have to be willing to let go of some control.